Hawai‘i Island Disasters (Fall 2021)

Team: Garren Kalter (Project Lead), Rose Eichelmann, Sanketa Kadam, Erin Azuma, and Anna Mikkelsen 

Summary: As the County of Hawai‘i faces an increased risk of extreme flooding events, sea-level rise, and other hazards associated with climate change, the need for building geospatial capacity to...

Southern California Health & Air Quality (Fall 2021)

Team: Michael Enz (Project Lead), Melanie Leung, Maya Zimmerman, Jonathan Van Dermark, and Petra Nichols 

Summary: In 2020, the dinoflagellate species Lingulodinium polyedra was measured at unprecedented levels off the southern California coast, raising concern for local communities. At high...

Yonkers Urban Development II (Fall 2021)

Team: Tamara Barbakova (Project Lead), Akshay Agrawal, Amanda Trakas, Kyle Pecsok, and Lauren Mahoney 

Summary: The City of Yonkers, New York, located in Westchester County, is experiencing rising temperatures which are a growing threat to the health and safety of its residents...

Gold mining is a central component of Ghana’s economy. An increased amount of illegal artisanal mining in recent years has led to accelerated deforestation, destruction of protected areas, and human health issues due to Mercury used during the mining process. This project addresses Sustainable Development...

Local companies and scientists in Benin are increasing their use of earth science information to manage forests and water resources. The invasive water hyacinth plant grows aggressively in Benin and many countries in Africa, harming local activities in fishing, transportation and trade. The Beninese company...

Increasing temperatures, as well as more severe and frequent droughts and fires, has led to recruitment failure in semi-arid forests in the western US. The project team analyzes satellite Earth observations and climate factors to identify optimal reforestation sites. Since recruitment failure affects semi-arid forests...

As Earth’s oceans undergo dramatic changes, the spatial distributions of highly migratory species and fishing fleets are shifting in response to climate-driven changes, and there is growing concern of greater ecological and economic disruptions as climate impacts increase. New management and conservation frameworks are needed...

Aquatic invasive species (AIS) presence in freshwater ecosystems has increased over the past several years as a result of climate change and anthropogenic landscape change. The spread of AIS is harmful to the health of native aquatic species, and therefore threatens the health of aquatic...

The country of Panama is surrounded in part by two oceans and has mountain ranges along the west and east, resulting in a wide range of climatic conditions. The diverse climate conditions result in a variety of  vegetation throughout the country and make Panama one of...

Identifying key biodiversity areas is crucial to understanding how endangered species populations react to changes in climate and urbanization. The project focuses on the fluctuations in occupied and available tiger (Panthera tigris) habitat in relation to key biodiversity areas (KBAs), developing procedures applicable to...