Hello! My name is Faguni and I am a rising senior from San Jose, California. Over the summer, I participated in the NASA STEM Enhancement in Earth Science Internship program and was a part of the Mosquito Mapper Team. What was originally supposed to be a two-week program at UT-Austin and the Johnson Space Center, turned into an eight-week virtual internship, all from the comforts of our...
I worked with a team of four other SEES interns to conduct an investigation into mosquito larvae trapping. We chose to research the effectiveness of mosquito larvae traps in different geographical areas, as we noticed that many of the interns were having trouble with capturing mosquito larvae in experimental traps. Moreover, understanding what type of traps and trap bait type most...
Cases of mosquito-borne disease are increasing in the United States. Because these diseases are directly correlated with the abundance of mosquitoes, finding what environmental variables impact mosquito populations is essential to prevent the transmission of disease. For the SEES 2020 Mosquito Mapper research project, our group decided to focus on identifying the statistical correlations...
Through my research, I tried to find a connection between plants and mosquitoes, so that humans can find a safe, natural, and aesthetically pleasing way to deter these disease vectors. I began my search for answers by visiting nature preserves in my area to sample water, set mosquito traps, and take pictures of the plants. I also used the GLOBE Observer Mosquito Habitat Mapper data from the...
Hi everyone, my name is Bhaskar J, and I'm interning with the SEES Mosquito Mappers research team this summer, in which we use the GLOBE Observer citizen science app. There are a lot of moving parts to it, but overall it's been an incredible experience!
One part of the program is catching mosquito larvae in our home-made traps. See the attached images showing how I made mine!
Figure....
To draw statistically valid conclusions about ecological trends, such as the relationship between land cover and mosquito population dynamics, land areas of interest must be sampled in a consistent manner. Numerous ground observations of local areas can help scientists gain insight of the landscape, especially in regions where remote sensing techniques fail to measure certain land...
Coming into the NASA SEES Mosquito Mapper program, I was beyond nervous. Living in Washington State in an area with few mosquitoes, I had no idea how I would be able to collect enough data for the final research project, especially since this was the first time I was conducting research on my own. In addition to that, the program was entirely virtual! As a visual learner, I was worried that...
Through the SEES Mosquito Mappers internship, I have learned how to skeptically interrogate the world around us and devise profound questions that can shape our understanding of the natural universe. I came to this internship knowing very little about science except for the basics of the scientific method and the “facts” that we are mandated to memorize in our educational system. I...
Guest blog by SEES Virtual Intern Sweta Alla
NASA STEM Enhancement in Earth Sciences: Mosquito Mappers Virtual High School Summer Internship. It’s a mouthful to say, but that title describes exactly what I did last summer. As a virtual intern, I collaborated with NASA scientists and our intern cohort and developed a research project that I presented at a science symposium at the end of the...
You have submitted GLOBE Observer Mosquito Habitat Mapper observations, but are still unsure how to access and analyze that data? This blog outlines the steps to download data into a spreadsheet, describes the data found in each column, and discusses what to do with the two sets of latitude and longitude data associated with each observation.
Download Data
First you will need to...
In this pro tip, you will learn how to increase your location accuracy while using the GLOBE Observer app and learn why location accuracy matters.
How is location determined?
By using a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, (either hand-held or built into your mobile device), you are able to obtain your geographical position on the Earth’s surface. The antennas on your GPS receiver...
Thirty-one seniors armed with the GLOBE Observer mobile app hiked Kamanaumui Valley at the end of October. During the 3.3 mile trek, hikers made Land Cover and Mosquito Habitat observations, while passing verdant tropical vegetation, the ruins of a colonial manor, a biological restoration plot and ancient petroglyphs.
OLLI trekkers used the GLOBE Observer app to make observations
The...
In this article, meet Prof. Glenda Ivette Lozada Negrón, a science teacher whose elementary classroom is actively engaged in reducing the risk of mosquito borne disease through mosquito surveillance and mitigation, as part of an ongoing service learning project in Puerto Rico .
Tell us about your project?
The project began as part of a curriculum with the Science and Research Trust of Puerto...
Guest Scientist blog by Dr. Joseph Kerski, Esri
Esri and the GLOBE program have been working together on initiatives and educator training for decades. GLOBE was one of the first major education-focused citizen science programs, and it offers a wealth of data on soil chemistry, water quality, weather, and much more, as well as rigorously tested methods to have your...
Guest Scientist Blog by Kayla M. Thomas, McNair Scholar, Southern Nazarene University
Oklahoma has experienced three major outbreaks of West Nile Virus (WNV) since its local introduction in 2002. State and local health agencies provide surveillance of mosquito-borne diseases although reduced resources and personnel limits its scope. With the addition of citizen scientists from the greater...
Guest Scientist Blog by Kenan Arica, NASA JPL Summer Intern
Mosquitoes are vectors for diseases such as malaria, dengue, Zika, Rift Valley fever, West Nile virus, chikungunya and other diseases. Unfortunately, climate change is expected to make the spread of mosquito-borne diseases worse. This summer, I did some exploratory research to see if we could combine the power of GLOBE citizen...
Guest Scientist Blog by Jacqueline Castellanos, NASA JPL Summer Intern
My summer internship at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory exposed me to all parts of the scientific process. I went on a hike in search of mosquitoes, collected data, and I had the opportunity to teach teachers how to use the GLOBE Observer Mosquito Habitat Mapper. In my analysis, I learned how to work with data of varying...
Left: SEES Mosquito Mapper intern Maia W. in the field, sampling a mosquito larvae habitat on a construction site in her hometown. Right: GLOBE Observer Land Cover observations collected alongside mosquito habitat identifications provide important data for analysis. Photo credit: Author.
As part of our field research, SEES interns identify local potential...
SEES Mosquito Mapper intern Lindsay W. in the field, sampling a mosquito larvae habitat site in her study area. Photo credit: Author.
California has recently emerged from a multi-year drought, but I live at the edge of a town in the chaparral where water is typically scarce. I often travel miles by car to find potential mosquito habitats, only to find no larvae in those water sources.
I...
Left: example larva of the genus Toxorhynchites recovered from one of the author's research traps. Right: Larval specimen of prey, Culex quinquefasciatus, for comparison. Toxorhynchites are predator larvae and easily recognized by their unique morphology and larger size. Photo credit: Author.
Toxorhynchites is part of the mosquito family (Culicidae),...
