RECENT WORK
Ongoing projects and data coordination activities.
ARCTIC OBSERVING VIEWER
AOV was born from a recognition that various Arctic Observing networks needed a tool – beyond project tracking systems and data catalogs – to strategically assess status and progress for long-term monitoring programs. A new, intermediate level of “granularity” (between project-level information and dataset-level information) was needed in a portal that focused on locations, activities, and resources. These are encapsulated in this mapping application as “data collection sites.” AOV is evolving and growing, founded on the principle that collaborative information sharing can provide a comprehensive – and therefore useful – perspective.
ARCTIC RESEARCH MAPPING APPLICATION (ARMAP)
ARMAP (http://armap.org) is designed for funding agencies, logistics planners, research investigators, students, and others to explore information about science being conducted across the Arctic. Hundreds of project locations and ship tracks are shown on the interactive web map, with easy access to details on funding agency, funding program, scientific discipline, principal investigator, project title, and much more.
BARROW AREA INFORMATION DATABASE (BAID)
The Barrow area on the North Slope of Alaska is one of the most intensely sampled locations in the Arctic with research sites dating back to the 1940s. The Barrow Area Information Database (BAID) is a resource for learning about the types of data collection activities in the region. The BAID team collaborates with scientists and the local community to compile and share this information via online web mapping applications including the Research Site Viewer at www.BarrowMapped.orgA new suite of tools to address the needs of local land managers will soon be released to include the Imagery Time Slider, Erosion Assessment Viewer and Community Planning Tool. (http://www.barrowmapped.org)
MAPPING AND CHARACTERIZATION OF RECURRING SPRING LEADS AND LANDFAST ICE IN THE BEAUFORT AND CHUKCHI SEA
The aim of this study was to map and document the spatial and temporal distribution of recurring lead systems, coastal polynyas and landfast ice in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas. The study region encompasses the entire northern coast of Alaska and parts of the Russian and Canadian coasts. This includes oil and gas leases sold in offshore areas for which sea-ice information is lacking. The region and its sea ice cover are also of importance to protected marine mammals and birds. Dramatic reductions in Arctic summer sea ice extent since 2005 lend urgency to the need for improved knowledge and understanding of the physical sea ice environment in this region of the Arctic.
Learn more about this effort at:
http://boemre-new.gina.alaska.edu/
KACHEMAK HERITAGE LAND TRUST
KHLT utilizes GIS as a tool aiding in the preservation of land on Alaska's Kenai Peninsula with natural, recreational, or cultural values.
For more info, visit http://www.kachemaklandtrust.org
KILLER WHALE GIS DATABASE
The North Gulf Ocean Society utilizes GIS to study the ecology of resident and transient whales. This includes documenting whale encounters, foraging locations, plus the analysis of movement and home range.
To learn more, visit http://www.whalesalaska.org/