The GAINS technology team has just completed the prototyping of its Google Maps and Microsoft Virtual Earth Integrations.  These tools will allow users to explore GAINS data using familiar technology.  At the moment, access to the prototypes is available to registered users of the site, although access would soon expand to other users.

“Although we will be adding more complex tools as time goes on, making sure our users have access to data using tools they are already familiar with will be one of the keys to the success of GAINS” reports Craig Limbert, the GAINS Data Manager.

With support from Wetlands, GAINS will soon be showing peak count data for all birds at all IWC sites in Europe and South East Asia.  Adapting Google and Microsoft technologies to scale to the hundreds of thousands of point records from the International Waterbird Count has been an exciting challenge for the technology team behind GAINS.