A Winner and Honorable Mentions: NASA DEVELOP Summer 2014 Virtual Poster Session

A grand-prize winner and honorable mentions have been selected for the summer 2014 Virtual Poster Session (VPS) contributed by NASA’s DEVELOP National Program. The contest included 34 projects conducted by 155 participants across 13 DEVELOP locations.

Caption: A collage of DEVELOP teams from around the United States, and Earth imagery from the Sava River (top left), Custea del Viento Reservoir (bottom left), and Lower Mississippi River alluvial valley (right).Image Credit: NASA DEVELOP/Chris McKeel.

A collage of DEVELOP teams from around the United States, and Earth imagery from the Sava River (top left), Custea del Viento Reservoir (bottom left), and Lower Mississippi River alluvial valley (right). Image Credit: NASA DEVELOP/Chris McKeel.

The grand prize goes to the project, ÛÏClearing the Waters: Exploring Algae Blooms in Right Whale Nursing Grounds,Û conducted by a team of three participants at DEVELOP’s node at Goddard Space Flight Center. The project utilized satellite imagery to magnify the view that conservationists and policymakers have on the bays of Peninsula ValdÌ©s, Argentina, and the relationships between water quality, harmful algae blooms, and whales.

ÛÏThese virtual posters represent a ton of intellectual capacity, dedication and passion,Û said Madeline Brozen, one of 18 in a judging panel, and a former DEVELOPer who is now program director of the University of California, Los Angeles, Complete Streets Initiative.

Lauren Childs-Gleason, national science lead for NASA’s DEVELOP National Program, added: ÛÏI was impressed with all of the projects and excited to see how they engaged directly with end-users to assess needs and ways to improve decision-making processes. All of the videos were creative and well thought out.Û

Each member of the winning team will receive a one-year trial version of ENVI and ArcGIS software, furnished by competition co-sponsors Exelis Visual Information Solutions and Esri. Both companies create geospatial and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software that can incorporate NASA remote-sensing data.

Runner-up honors go to five teams who followed closely behind the winning Argentina Oceans Team in scoring and categories based on content, clarity, use of Earth observations, creativity, dialogue and discussion, and decision support:

Û¢åÊReaching Far and Wide: ÛÏASSESSment of Earth and Ocean for Coral PromotionÛ (Ames Research Center)

Û¢åÊFood, Fuel and Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa: ÛÏLet the Water Flow: Analyzing Irrigation Potential in NigerÛ (Langley Research Center)

Û¢åÊWest, Young Scientists: ÛÏDon’t Wastewater! Tracking Wastewater Plumes along Southern California BeachesÛ (Jet Propulsion Laboratory)

Û¢åÊFrom the Bread Basket to New England: ÛÏSongbird Population Dynamics in Fragmented New England HabitatÛ (Goddard Space Flight Center)

Û¢åÊFrom the Hills of Tennessee to the Florida Keys: ÛÏS.O.S. Save Our Swamps: NASA Earth Observations Aid Wetland ReforestationÛ (Stennis Space Center).

For more information about DEVELOP, visit the DEVELOP website.

Previous DEVELOP Earthzine Virtual Poster Sessions are listed in the DEVELOP VPS Archive.

Winner

Clearing the Waters: Exploring Algae Blooms in Right Whale Nursing Grounds

Could something as small as plankton harm a whale? That’s what we’re trying to find out! This project used satellite imagery to magnify the view that conservationists and policymakers have on the bays of Peninsula ValdÌ©s, Argentina, and the relationships between water quality, harmful algae blooms, and whales.

Runners Up

ASSESSment of Earth and Ocean for CoralåÊPromotion

What does the future hold for the world’s threatened coral reefs? Coral reefs are vulnerable to high levels of nutrients and sedimentation in the near-shore marine environment. In American Samoa, water quality can be used to indicate the level of risk of these valuable marine ecosystems. Team ASSESS used NASA Earth observations to understand the variables that most likely in influence reef health in this tropical ecosystem.

Let the Water Flow: Analyzing Irrigation Potential in Niger

Can NASA remote sensing data assist in irrigation planning in Africa’s semi-arid Sahel region? DEVELOP participants tackle this question for three drought-ridden regions of the Republic of Niger through precipitation, groundwater, and land cover analyses.

Don’t Wastewater: Tracking Wasterwater Plumes along Southern California Beaches

Is there treated sewage at the beach? This project utilized satellite data to track treated sewage in the ocean near Southern California beaches. The project partnered with Hyperion Wastewater Treatment Plant and the Orange County Sanitation District to detect surfaced plumes using in-situ data for verification.

Songbird Population: Dynamics in Fragmented New England Habitat

This project contributed to a better understanding of avian population trends and distribution during the summer breeding season in New England by using selected songbird species as to represent the collective avian population. By combining Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) population data and NASA Earth observations, the study analyzed and predicted changes in the distribution of the model species driven specifically by forest fragmentation and habitat loss. Occupancy models factoring in bird presence, fragmentation, and vegetative characteristics were applied to determine which metrics of forest fragmentation affected the local occupancy, colonization, and emigration of an area. This model can be applied to a number of songbird species and aids in the understanding and conservation planning of these species across North America.

S.O.S Save Our Swamps: NASA Earth Observations Aid Wetland Reforestation

Louisiana coastal wetlands are being degraded by both natural and anthropogenic factors. Without these unique ecosystems, critical infrastructure will be left further exposed to storm

events and flooding. This project created maps highlighting areas suitable for reforestation, so that ongoing and future wetland restoration efforts may be more effective.