Description: An estimated 73 million sharks were killed last year, primarily for their fins. Their populations are at critical levels, and they are still being fished out of the oceans at unsustainable rates. Some regional populations of shark species are down to 95 - 99%, which is considered functional extinction.
Description: The Common Loon (Gavia immer) has historically been used as an indicator species during it's summer breeding season. More specifically, loons have been used as an indicator for heavy metals, biocontamination, and acidity (Canadian Lakes Loon Survey).
Description: The goal of this project was to identify birding hotspots on Mount Desert Island. To do this, I used data from eBird to determine which birds are most common in each sector. The sectors are areas used by birders during the annual Christmas Bird Count . Birding hotspots are areas that birders go to frequently
Description: Mount Desert Island, located off the east coast of Maine, is completely surrounded by intertidal environments. Throughout the 1900s, data was collected and recorded in notebooks regarding intertidal life by numerous researchers, followed by entry into a spreadsheet by Michael Hays, a citizen scientist who worked with the MDIBL (Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory). In present day, these data can be put into a map thanks to ArcGIS Pro. These data includes large amounts of information regarding marine life around the coastal environments of MDI, such as species common and Latin names, locations observed (where on the island along with Lat. and Long.), observation year, along with some brief notes about each observation. [show more]
Description: Under the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) 's, cheetahs are listed as vulnerable. This status means the species is likely to become endangered unless the circumstances threatening its survival and reproduction of the species improve. Due to recent studies showing a significant decline in current cheetah numbers, scientists have started calling for the species to be up-listed to endangered status under the IUCN.
Description: Roads often intersect the habitat between forests and wetlands, leaving migrating amphibians with no choice but to cross the road. Unfortunately, many amphibians are killed by vehicles when they migrate across roads. These animals' small size and slow movements make them difficult to see from a car.
Description: Maine has over 6,000 lakes and ponds. These waterbodies are home to a wide range of wildlife and plant species. Maintaining high water quality in Maine’s lakes and ponds is essential to protect the health of these habitats and the species that use them.
Description: Dengue, a mosquito-borne virus, has spread across the globe in recent years, now infecting an estimated 100-400 million people each year. Approximately forty percent of the world’s population lives in countries with a risk of dengue.