This session provides examples of how GIS professionals work with local communities to incorporate insights that help investigate marine species and coastal conditions and understand the seafloor—the community-based workflows aid mitigation recommendations for inclusive and representative local needs and priorities.
2022 Proceedings
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Community-Based Marine Workflows
, Student, Citizen Science GIS
, University of Central Florida - Citizen Science GIS
, Senior GIS Analyst, ProtectedSeas
, Associate Professor, Graduate Director and Principal Investigator of a NSF REU & RET Site in Orlando and Belize, Citizen Science GIS
, Student, Citizen Science GIS
, Student, Citizen Science GIS
, Student, Citizen Science GIS
, Board Director, Map the Gaps
Session Type: User Presentations
Session Level: All Attendees
Presentation 1 Title: Community-Based Work: Investigating Coastal Conditions in Hopkins, Belize
Presentation 1 Speaker 1: Simone Schneider
Presentation 1 Speaker 2: Timothy Hawthorne
Presentation 1 Speaker 3: Emily Huston
Presentation 1 Speaker 4: Valerie Melendez
Presentation 1 Speaker 5: Shaun Baughman
Presentation 1 Speaker 6: Micah Ortiz
Presentation 1 Abstract:
This community-based work used GIS, drones, and community interviews to investigate coastal conditions in Hopkins Village, Belize. Funded by the National Science Foundation (Award #1950227), the Citizen Science GIS Research Experiences for Undergraduates and Teachers team worked in partnership with the local community, the Hopkins Village Council, the University of Belize, and the University of Central Florida to design, collect and analyze observational and perception data on marine debris, sargassum, and erosion along the Hopkins coastline. The research findings revealed debris hotspots along the coast, an increase in natural debris like sargassum, and continuity between community perceptions and the erosion and marine debris quadrat survey results. The use of mixed methods research and community-based approaches incorporated local knowledge at various stages of the research process, making the design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, presentation of findings, and mitigation recommendations more inclusive and representative of local needs and priorities.
Presentation 2 Title: Map the Gaps: Supporting a Diverse Global Ocean Discovery Community
Presentation 2 Speaker 1: Rochelle Wigley
Presentation 2 Abstract:
Map the Gaps is dedicated to cultivating and empowering a growing network of professionals and communities working together to create new ways for understanding the seafloor. As a registered 501c3 scientific non-profit organization, Map the Gaps relies on volunteers to help increase awareness, equity and diversity among the ocean mapping community through outreach and mapping activities. Created after the Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Alumni Team won the Grand Prize of the Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE competition, Map the Gaps draws on an international community of ocean explorers, conservationists, educators and early career scientists. This diverse network is mobilized for ocean discovery missions in support of existing global ocean mapping initiatives. Map the Gaps also supports outreach and remote data processing projects, where Esri tools are utilized to generate and publicly share information gathered. Relevant projects, including PROTEUS in Curaçao, coastal exploration in Fiji, DSSV Pressure Drop and GO-MARIE Greenland mapping expeditions will be described focusing on the role ArcGIS played in these projects.
Presentation 3 Title: Regulatory Seascape Analysis to Support Marine Conservation
Presentation 3 Speaker 1: Alex Driedger
Presentation 3 Abstract:
ProtectedSeas Navigator is a comprehensive regulatory database for understanding the legal protections in place for marine protected areas (MPAs) and other areas that manage the extraction of marine life and other marine uses. To help inform 30x30 planning, Navigator was used to create a series of maps to aid the understanding of existing legal protections within National Marine Sanctuaries (NMSs) along the U.S. West Coast, supporting the conservation community and policy makers in their work to advocate for strengthening conservation measures within NMSs. In addition, Navigator was used to analyze the status of regulations governing the area of the proposed Chumash National Heritage NMS. Over 40 place-based regulations were found to intersect the area, yet only 1% of the area was classified as highly restrictive to fishing. 36% of the area was found to allow bottom trawling with restrictions, while 64% of the area prohibits bottom trawling. This is relevant for policy makers evaluating benthic protections, given that a goal of the proposed NMS is the protection of biologically diverse and sensitive species.
