News

“Gaia4All: Indigenous Hackathon for Global Early Warning”

No alt text provided for this image

Challenge Overview:

“Gaia4All: Indigenous Hackathon for Global Early Warning” is a groundbreaking, Indigenous-led innovation challenge committed to contribute to the overarching UN goal of providing effective early warning systems for storms, floods, droughts and heatwaves in all parts of the world by 2027. With climate change impacts escalating, timely early warnings have become a pressing need to safeguard lives and livelihoods.

This transformative challenge is guided by the principles of the “Indigenous Hackathon” fostering the co-creation of technological solutions that integrate scientific, local, and Indigenous knowledge. Our collective goal is to make early warnings universally accessible and embraced, particularly by Indigenous and underrepresented communities, empowering them to proactively mitigate the impacts of extreme weather events.

Join us in this audacious journey to harness the collective intelligence of the crowd to strengthen global resilience, protect lives and foster sustainable futures. Let’s work towards  a world where early warning systems are available to everyone anywhere, leaving no community behind in the face of climate uncertainty. Let’s unite as planet guardians, making a lasting impact for generations to come.

When: October 28-29

Where: Online

Sign up here to keep informed and share your interest to participate as a hacker, mentor or sponsor: https://forms.gle/MPSPdMuxsh7PgnKaA

For sponsorship inquiries or more information, please contact diana@space4innovation.com

GEO Indigenous Water Summit 2023 – Abstracts due October 6th

No alt text provided for this image

The GEO Indigenous Alliance is pleased to announce the GEO Indigenous Water Summit 2023, to be held online from 25-27 October 2023. Building on the tremendous success of the GEO Indigenous Summit 2020, which brought together Indigenous leaders, NGOs, Indigenous youth, academics and UN institutes to discuss Indigenous-led innovations in Earth observations, this year’s Summit aims to deepen the exploration of water conservation and sustainability. In line with the United Nations’ Declaration of 2023 as the Year of Water, the Summit will provide a platform to showcase Indigenous Earth observation innovations that address water issues and highlight the role of Indigenous knowledge in building a sustainable future.

When: October 25-27

Where: Online

Themes and Topics:

  • Indigenous Earth Observation Innovations for Water: Showcasing the latest advancements in Earth observation technologies, satellite data, and Indigenous-led research to address water-related challenges and promote sustainability.
  • Indigenous Knowledge and Sustainable Future: Exploring the role of Indigenous knowledge in building a resilient society and achieving sustainable development goals, particularly in the context of water conservation and management.
  • Public and Private Sector Initiatives: Investigating the evolving relationship between Indigenous communities and the business sector, identifying opportunities for collaboration, and highlighting the economic benefits of Indigenous-led Earth observation initiatives.
  • Climate Change and Water: Understanding the impact of climate change on water resources and exploring Indigenous perspectives, adaptations, and resilience strategies.
  • Indigenous Science and Society: Examining the integration of Indigenous science and traditional knowledge with Earth observation data and technologies, and their significance in informing policy and decision-making processes.
  • “GAIA4All Indigenous Hackathon for Early Warning Systems”: Building capacity within Indigenous youth and local communities, empowering them to develop their own Earth observation-based solutions towards water challenges.

Sign up here to keep informed:  https://forms.gle/DbLXGdCXZzK41tuV9

Lightning talks session:  Lightning talks are 3 minute pre-recorded presentations related to the themes of the Summit. To submit an abstract complete this form by Friday, October 6th, 2023.

For sponsorship inquiries or more information, please contact diana@space4innovation.com

Deadline Extended! Call for Early Career Scientist Speakers!

DEADLINE EXTENDED!

Water Talks: Advancing Diversity and Equity in Aquatic Remote Sensing

An activity of the GEO AquaWatch Early Career Society 

GEO AquaWatch invites early career professionals and scientists in the field of aquatic remote sensing from geographically underrepresented backgrounds.

    • Researchers are now invited to submit an abstract (4000 characters, including spaces) for an oral webinar presentation on Earth Observation in Water Quality. Abstracts will be accepted for consideration until 11st of August 2023. A broad range of Earth Observation water quality topics is welcome, from algorithm development to understanding the needs of the user community. Early Career water quality professionals and scientists from groups and geographic regions under-represented in science are especially encouraged to apply.
    • This opportunity is a two-part series. The first part involves optional presentation training with GEO AquaWatch Early Career Society members to help further develop presentation skills and English language fluency. The second part involves giving a webinar presentation for the entire GEO AquaWatch Network. This is a unique opportunity to have peer feedback before presenting your work to the entire community.
    • The selection focuses on underrepresented research groups, with a particular focus on researchers located in underrepresented geographic regions or who conduct research in those regions.

The 2023-24 webinar theme is “Understanding water quality from space”

GEO AquaWatch has a strong emphasis on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) policies and these principles will be encouraged in setting the program. Webinar participants will be expected to be aware of and follow GEO AquaWatch’s new Code of Conduct during discussions.   

Webinar Logistics: monthly 60 minute virtual webinars to be held at the time of the speaker’s convenience on business days.

Where: Virtual.

Abstract Submission Deadline 25th of August 2023. Notification of those selected will be made by September 10th, 2023.

Link to Registration and Abstract Submission Form: https://forms.office.com/e/ZUjWFc6tdd

Questions: email EarlyCareerSociety@geoaquawatch.org with WATER TALKS Call for Speakers in the subject line

NASA ARSET Introductory Training

Introductory Webinar: Building Climate Risk Assessments from Local Vulnerability and Exposure
September 19 & 21, 2023
11:00-12:30 or 15:00-16:30 EDT (UTC-4)

This ARSET Training will describe climate risk assessment approaches that originate with stakeholder expertise in the fundamental climate vulnerability and exposure of their system. By identifying at-risk assets and the types of climate conditions that drive problematic responses, stakeholders and scientists can co-develop risk information targeting specific climatic impact-drivers and utilizing climate observations and projections sets selected to suitably address those risks. The training will provide an assessment and engagement framework and utilize examples from the NASA Climate Adaptation Science Investigators (CASI) Program that is preparing NASA facilities for future climate resilience.

Register

Florida, USA Grad Student Opportunities – LAKEWATCH water quality project

Graduate student opportunities studying the chemical ecology of Floridian freshwater and estuarine ecosystems with LAKEWATCHPosted: 1-August-2023

Position is open until filled; the review of applicants will begin on 22-September-2023

Location: University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA (Millhopper Unit)

Department: School of Forests, Fisheries, and Geomatic Science (SFFGS), https://ffgs.ifas.ufl.edu/

SupervisorDr. Gretchen Lescord (lescord.g@ufl.edu), assistant professor and director of LAKEWATCH, https://lakewatch.ifas.ufl.edu/; and notable collaboration with Ted Lange, biologist, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Background The LAKEWATCH lab is seeking multiple graduate students to study the chemical ecology of Floridian freshwater fish. The candidate will work collaboratively with University of Florida’s LAKEWATCH program and the state’s Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), exploring, utilizing, and expanding on their long-term datasets to address novel research questions relevant for the management of sub-tropical freshwater ecosystems.

LAKEWATCH is a water quality monitoring program that facilitates “hands-on” participation by volunteers in the management of Florida lakes, estuaries, rivers and springs through monthly sampling activities (Hoyer et al., 2014). It is one of the largest citizen science programs in the country, with over 1800 trained volunteers and 800 monitored ecosystems. The importance and value of these monitoring data are recognized by the Florida Legislature (Florida Statute 1004.49.) and have been used by various stakeholders around the state, including FWC. Over 30 years of water quality data from the 800+ monitored sites is available for use in this project.

FWC’s Freshwater Research section strives to provide timely information and guidance to protect, conserve, and manage Florida’s freshwater fish and invertebrate resources by conducting high quality biological, social, and economic research on priority management issues. Priority areas of research include ecosystem response to landscape level perturbations including minimum flows and levels, water quality and quantity, climate change, habitat degradation, nutrient loading, harmful algal blooms, fish contaminants and exotic species introductions. Long-term and directed research data collection of fish contaminant data (legacy pesticides, mercury, PFAS, and newly emerging chemicals of interest) is ongoing and focused on both ecological and human health endpoints.

We are seeking 1 PhD candidate (confirmed) and 1-2 MSc candidates (funding-pending). The PhD student will build on past work of both groups (e.g., Lange et al., 1993; Lescord et al., 2018, 2019) and develop a research project that assesses temporal trends in mercury concentrations in Floridian fish and the long-term limnological drivers thereof (e.g., chlorophyll α). Additionally, new data will be generated on water and/or biota, to build a more complete understanding of these systems, in line with the candidate’s research interests. The MSc students will work on related and complimentary topics. LAKEWATCH has an extensive water quality lab and is establishing a new contaminants lab, which the candidates will have access to, providing valuable analytical experience.

The candidates will have the opportunity to play a leading role in developing the specific research questions addressed, using both historical and newly generated data. If you have a relevant research idea, please let Dr. Lescord know what you are interested in studying in your application! Potential research topics include (but are not limited to):

  1. How changing water chemistry and aquatic plant abundance alters the food web structure, biotic communities, and contaminant transfer in Floridan lakes, rivers, canals, and wetlands;
  2. The role of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the limnology, trophic ecology, and mercury cycling of Floridan lakes;
  3. The role of invasive species (Flora and/or Fauna) introductions and range expansion in sub-tropical freshwater food webs and the transfer of contaminants;
  4. Comparing the rates of mercury biomagnification across food webs of limnologically diverse Floridian aquatic ecosystems;
  5. How limnology and trophic ecology affect the fatty acids profile of wild-caught Floridian fish.

Preferred Qualifications – PhD Candidate

-M.Sc. in limnology, environmental science, ecology, chemistry, or a related discipline; AND
-Significant independent research experience, preferably demonstrated through leadership or significant participation in one or more published peer-reviewed paper in a high quality and relevant journal. A journal article in-review or in-preparation for publication would also fulfill this preferred qualification.

Preferred Qualifications – MSc Candidates
-B.Sc. in limnology, environmental science, ecology, chemistry, or a related discipline; AND
-Significant Research experience.

Desirable skills (MSc and Phd):
-Knowledge and interest in relevant topics, including limnology, environment chemistry, contaminants, food web ecology, etc.;
-Lab experience, including (-but not limited to) sample preparation, instrumentation, quality assurance and control procedures, and lab safety;
-Field experience safely collecting abiotic and biotic samples from aquatic ecosystems (e.g., water, sediments, benthic invertebrates, and fish);
-Strong technical writing skills and direct experience in the peer-reviewed publishing process;
-Experience and interest working with large datasets, particularly using the R coding language, and multivariate statistical modeling;
-Experience or significant interest in community-based science and collaborating with the LAKEWATCH volunteers;
-Effective communication skills across a variety of audiences, including non-specialists.

Other skills that would be considered an asset in the Lescord/LAKEWATCH lab:
-Experience working with stable isotopes for ecological and/or limnological modeling;
-A commitment to practicing the Lescord Lab’s core principles and skills, including scientific integrity, innovation, effective communication, respectful and ethical collaboration, and personal well-being

To apply Please send: (1) a cover letter, (2) a copy of your CV with the contact information for 2-3 references, (3) a copy of relevant transcripts (unofficial or official), and (4) a copy of a recent publication (if available and applicable) to Dr. Gretchen Lescord, lescord.g@ufl.edu. In your cover letter, please clearly indicate which degree (MSc or PhD) you are applying to pursue and how you found out about the opportunity. Review of applications will begin on September 22, 2023. Selected applicants will be invited to a zoom interview in September – October 2023. Successful interviewees will be asked to complete an application for graduate school, due to the school January 1/2024. The projects intended start date is Fall 2024.

The home department of the successful candidate will be the Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Program, School of Forests, Fisheries, and Geomatic Sciences (SFFGS) in UF/IFAS (https://ffgs.ifas.ufl.edu/). Guidelines and requirements for graduate school admissions, which the selected candidate is responsible for successfully completing, can be found at https://ffgs.ifas.ufl.edu/academics/apply/ and https://admissions.ufl.edu/apply/graduate/; GRE schools are no longer required for SFFGS admissions.

The position(s) will be fully funded for 2 years (MSc) or 4 years (PhD) through research assistantships at a minimum of $25,000 and $30,000 USD/year (+ health benefits), respectively, and in-state tuition support. Therefore, all positions are dependent on funding availability at the time of the candidates’ application/acceptance. The selected applicants may also be considered for department fellowships at the time of their application, which would provide the student’s stipend and tuition support, in place of the amounts discussed above. Additional fellowships are available through the school of graduate studies (http://graduateschool.ufl.edu/prospective-students/funding/).