The urban heat island (UHI) effect occurs when non-vegetated surfaces trap heat during daylight hours, increasing the overall temperature of urbanized cities relative to adjacent rural areas. Excessive heat can increase the… Read More
Our Project Portfolio
The urban heat island (UHI) effect occurs when non-vegetated surfaces trap heat during daylight hours, increasing the overall temperature of urbanized cities relative to adjacent rural areas. Excessive heat can increase the… Read More
Team: Aaron Carr (Project Lead), Mel Frost, Alissa Stark, Ashley Grinstead
Summary: Bryce Canyon National Park is home to groundwater-dependent ecosystems (GDEs) that are… Read More
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) will be supervising a harbor deepening project in Port Everglades, Florida. The… Read More
Team: Samrin Sauda (Project Lead), Ethan Gates, Erin Weitzel, Morgan Guttman
Summary: The Upper Yampa River Watershed (UYRW), located in northwestern Colorado, plays a key role in… Read More
Since the early 2000s, wind-deposited sediment mounds have been growing and encroaching onto the Black Rock Playa of the Black Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area. These sedimentary… Read More
Across the globe, mangroves play a major role in coastal ecosystem processes mitigating erosion and serving as barriers against storm surges. India holds approximately 5% of the world's mangroves, over half of which are along… Read More
Mangroves, one of the most productive ecosystems on Earth, play a major role in coastal ecosystem processes, from mitigating erosion to acting as a barrier against tidal and storm surges associated with tropical cyclones… Read More
Winter cover crops increase the sustainability of agricultural lands and the health of surrounding watersheds through erosion control and nutrient retention. The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) incentivizes the… Read More
Native plant species in the Colorado River Basin are currently threatened by non-native species that are changing resource competition dynamics. Monitoring native species is essential for understanding changes in plant health… Read More
The rapid expansion of human population in conjunction with industrialization has resulted in increased artificial light pollution, also known as sky glow. Anthropogenic light pollution hinders the reproductive, migratory, and… Read More
Team: Jane Zugarek (Project Lead), Madison Arndt, Jessica Gray, Amelia Untiedt
Summary: Bioindicator species monitoring allows researchers to infer the overall… Read More
The California grunion (Leuresthes tenuis) is a species of fish endemic to the California coastline that plays an important role in the marine food chain as a consumer of zooplankton and a food source for larger marine… Read More
Human-wildlife conflict is increasingly more common due to human population growth, habitat fragmentation, and changing climatic conditions. This conflict is particularly evident in the Kavango-Zambezi area, where over three… Read More
In the Kavango-Zambezi area of southern Africa, three million people live within areas frequently traveled by free-ranging elephants. As the region continues to develop rapidly, urban and agricultural settlements further… Read More
In the Puget Sound region of Washington, high levels of air pollutants put residents’ health at risk by increasing their likelihood of developing critical respiratory conditions. This project used remotely-sensed data to… Read More
The urban heat island (UHI) effect occurs when urban areas have temperatures that are warmer on average than the surrounding suburban and rural regions. Low albedo surfaces traditionally found in urban landscapes, such as… Read More
With the aim of improving air quality and mitigating increases in land surface temperature (LST), the city of Richmond, California, and partnering organizations have planted 35,000 trees over the past decade. Groundwork… Read More
Team: Ritisha Ghosh (Project Lead), Richard Kirschner, Ria Mukherjee, Raina Monaghan
Summary: Wichita, Kansas is experiencing a host of climate threats, particularly extreme heat manifested… Read More
The combined effects of increasing urbanization and climate change have exacerbated the urban heat island (UHI) effect and heat-related risks for city dwellers. Vulnerability to heat-related illnesses is further compounded by… Read More
Team: Keegan Kessler (Project Lead), Hadwynne Gross, Jordan Larson, Adam Nayak
Summary: Urban heat is a pressing concern in Portland, Oregon as climate-change induced heat waves… Read More