Browsing by Subject "geospatial analysis"

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Geospatial Analysis of Environmental Suitability for Burkholderia species Using Data Analytics
(2019-10-15) Shensky, Michael G.; Trelogan, Jessica; Acquaye-Seedah, Edith; Roux, Stanley J.; Brown, Katherine A.
The spread of tropical diseases to regions previously free of these diseases is one consequence of climate change. Burkholderia pseudomallei is a soil-dwelling Gram-negative saprophyte that is the causative agent of melioidosis. Increased temperatures, flooding events, and movements of infected animals are cited as possible mechanisms for the spread of melioidosis beyond the tropics. Key aims of this project are to use existing data about soil, water, weather, land use and melioidosis risk factors to generate geospatial data and maps that can identify ecological niches for B. pseudomallei and related soil organisms. We are using geographic information systems data and a new data analytics platform, DataX, to create models and simulations of how climate change events may affect the current and potential future presence of this organism in the environment. We will present our strategy and discuss how we are integrating geospatial analysis tools in this project.
Modeling Environmental Suitability for Establishment of Burkholderia pseudomallei in Texas
(2022-06-07) Shensky, Michael; Brown, Katherine A.
Burkholderia pseudomallei is a soil- and water-borne bacterial pathogen that is the etiological agent of the disease melioidosis. Melioidosis is prevalent in the tropics and agricultural workers are amongst those at risk because of the potential of their work to contact contaminated soils. In addition, disease occurrence is increasingly being reported in regions north and south of the tropics and in 2019 Texas was declared endemic for melioidosis by the CDC. In this project we are using GIS software to process, analyze, and map data pertaining to melioidosis occurrence and factors such as climate and soil conditions that permit survival of the organism in different environmental niches. Keys aims of our research are to identify geographical regions where B. pseudomallei may be present in the environment but not yet detected in Texas and elsewhere in the world; and to predict where the organism might be able to spread and become established in the future. The automation of the research workflow through the use of Python using scripted processes allows these maps to be updated as new data become available such as reports of disease occurrence.
The Coral Triangle: A Hotspot for Submarine Groundwater Discharge
(2023) Nguyen, Amber; Cardenas, M. Bayani
Coral reefs are some of the most biologically diverse habitats in the world. They provide economic value to many coastal communities through fisheries and tourism. Coral reef ecosystems are especially valuable in the Coral Triangle (CT), an area in the western Pacific Ocean. Several local and regional studies have focused on geochemical and ecological research in the CT. Studies focusing on hydrologic connections and inputs from land to sea are much less common, although these have implications for coastal water quality and ecosystem health. This research explores the global patterns of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) and investigates the spatial connection between SGD rates and coral reefs. We hypothesized that SGD rates are higher in the CT versus the rest of the world. To test this hypothesis, global SGD data from two previous studies (Luijendijk et al., 2020; Zhou et al., 2019) were analyzed. The analysis included the use of GIS software and statistical methods. Student T-tests and Mann-Whitney U-tests were performed on the data to determine statistical differences between SGD values in the CT versus those outside. Results from both the Zhou et al. and Luijendijk et al. data demonstrate that SGD values are higher in the Coral Triangle than in the rest of the globe. Future work will explore the spatial relationship between volcanoes and coral reefs to determine whether volcanic activity correlates with SGD. The findings will help establish the environmental context under which the coral reefs of the CT thrive and identify potential threats to these crucial ecosystems.