The disruption of natural fire regimes caused by fire suppression policies, coupled with drought and changing climate conditions, allow fuel loads to grow in the absence of naturally occurring, low intensity surface fires. Within the mixed conifer forests of the Cascades, catastrophic wildfires challenge forest...

Spruce beetle-induced (Dendroctonus rufipennis (Kirby)) mortality on the Kenai Peninsula has heightened local wildfire risk as canopy loss facilitates the conversion from blank to fire-prone grassland. We collected images from NASA Earth observations to visualize land cover succession at roughly five-year intervals following a...

Dissolved oxygen levels have been declining in the Puget Sound since 2000 due to eutrophication, resulting in harmful algal bloom (HAB) events, which negatively impact water quality and wildlife in the area. Therefore, analyzing and identifying eutrophication and hypoxic events is important for water quality...

The Osa Peninsula, located in the southern region of Costa Rica’s Pacific coast, is one of the most biologically diverse places on Earth. NASA DEVELOP partnered with Osa Conservation to analyze the impact of human activity on vital water resources, with a focus on determining...

Alaska’s wildfire season has progressively increased in duration and intensity over the last decade, leaving forested areas subject to devastating destruction. These increases in wildfire occurrence are due to gradual rises in land surface temperature, decreases in precipitation levels, and...

Tonlé Sap Lake, the largest lake in Southeast Asia, is a critical source of fish and freshwater resources for the region. The health of this freshwater system is under pressure from accelerating dam construction, intensifying agriculture, deforestation, and changing climate patterns...

For at least the past two decades, the coral reefs and coastal ecosystems of the American Samoan island of Tutuila have experienced deteriorating water quality. Increased levels of sedimentation, nutrients, and other land-based sources of pollution (LBSP) have negatively impacted...

In recent years, the Gulf of México (GoM) has gained national attention for its significant contributions to the country’s overall oil supply – the area today accounts for 17% of all US oil production. The production and availability of such oil resources is threatened when...

This project utilized satellite Earth observations to assess locations in Mobile County, Alabama, that are vulnerable to the urban heat island effect (UHI) and flood impacts. Our partner, Groundwork Mobile County (GWMC), and other local entities need information on UHIs...

Tick-borne diseases are a public health issue in southern Maine, and recent estimates completed by the State of Maine suggest that as little as 1 in 10 cases of Lyme disease are actually reported. There are three tick-borne diseases known...