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Adopt-a-Pixel | Where does water meet land in my community? Scanning the Area As our first assignment as part of the Earth System Explorers team, we've been tasked with making our first observations using the GLOBE Observer App. The goal was to make 12 total observations (6 Potential Mosquito Habitat & 6 Land Cover). To be more efficient, I decided to make all of my observations...
I built my mosquito traps on June 20th and ran the experiment until July 15th. I collected a total of 15 observations during this period. To construct the traps I used three identical pots to hold water. The goal of my experiment was to find which type of mosquito bait would be the most effective at attracting and sheltering mosquitos. For the three baits I used dried leaves, grass clippings,...
My mosquito trap was definitely a rollercoaster, and with this being the last required update, I still plan on seeing how the traps do after the internship finishes since this has been really interesting. To give some background, I set out three traps around 30-40 yards away from each other around my AOI so I could get an idea of how different areas may yield different results. The first trap...
Mosquito Trap Week 1 For the mosquito traps, I decided quite early on that my independent variable would be the container. I got 3 different containers; an old tire, a black bucket, and a gallon bottle/container while keeping all other factors the same. I used the same bait and the same amount of water and placed all 3 traps in my backyard behind the shade of the tree. I decided on...
AOI Fieldwork At first, collecting land cover data for 37 points within my area of interest felt like a daunting task. However, after only a few "expeditions" in the past week, I was able to complete all 37 observations. To make my work easier and more accurate, I intentionally choose an AOI that would contain as many points as possible within a nearby park. This was to ensure that I could...
My fieldwork to map land via the Globe app led me to understand where I live better. Texas is the second-largest U.S. state by both area and population. There are only four deserts in North America, and Texas is home to the Chihuahuan Desert. Texas Land Conservancy [TLC] works to conserve natural areas, protect the physical and ecological integrity of their wildlife habitat and native plant...
Concerns regarding the impact of global warming on vector-borne diseases have intensified interest in the relationship between atmospheric factors and dengue fever incidence. Global climate change poses the threat of serious social upheaval, population displacement, economic hardships, and environmental degradation. Changes in temperature, rainfall and relative humidity have potential to...
When you start writing your GLOBE report for IVSS, it might be difficult because you might not sure where to start. We tend to start writing the Methods section first because it is something you did it yourselves, and it should be relatively easy and straightforward to write. Second, you should write the Results section, do graphs, tables and texts (think of a best way to present your cool...
On May 1, 2021, I did a lot of things. Most of them involved staying home, logging in to Microsoft Teams for virtual school, and doing my homework. Little did I know that my life would change that very evening. I logged off from school and opened Outlook to check my email, and I saw it immediately: “Congratulations on your NASA virtual internship!” For the next five months, I was immersed in...
Hello! My name is Nikita A., and I am from Chicago, Illinois. I participated in the NASA SEES Internship Program during the summer of 2022 as part of the Earth System Explorers team. Our program kicked off in the first week of June with an introductory webinar that detailed the goals for the next eight weeks. For the Earth System Explorers project, our goal was to research the harm...
My experiment aims to test how two variables impact the likelihood of mosquitoes breeding. The first variable is the water type, and I am testing with tap water, filtered water, and muddy water from a local pond. The second variable is the food in which mosquitos will breed. Therefore, I will add rice water and sugarcane juice to the three water types. So, I will end up with nine...
In October, our SEES research team presented at the 2022 MIT Undergraduate Research Technology Conference (MIT URTC), becoming the first SEES team ever to be selected to present a paper at this competition. We wanted to share our experience with MIT URTC, from the starting point of our SEES research project to developing a publishable manuscript and presenting our paper at the conference. At...
I have 5 identical buckets placed in shady areas around my yard. Two of these buckets (Buckets 1 and 2) are filled with equivalent amounts of water, grasses, leaves, and dirt, while another bucket (Bucket 3) contains everything but the dirt. I wanted to examine how dirtier water could attribute to a more habitable microenvironment for mosquitoes. My two other buckets contain equivalent...
First Post: For my project, I wanted to see how CO2 emissions could affect mosquito activity. To do this, I set up 4 water bottle traps. 2 of the traps contained a solution of tap water (1 cup), sugar (1/4 cup), and yeast (1 gram). The yeast and the sugar react to release carbon dioxide. (Fermentation) The other two bottles contained a basic solution of tap water and grass. One bottle of...
For my experiment, I decided to see which fruits or foods in general that mosquitos would be attracted to. From left to right, it was the cantaloupe, watermelon, control(which is nothing), and a pineapple in the last one. I wanted to test whether different fruits or foods affected the amount of larvae and mosquitos that are born. For the first week of testing, I did not spot anything or any...
For my mosquito habitat experiment, I decided to approach it from the perspective of the size of containers. I had 5 different containers, each of which is a different size, from a small bottle to a soap bottle to the largest, a gallon jug. For the first week of testing, I was able to set up the traps in their selective locations, however, was not able to check them till week the end of week 2...
For my mosquito habitat experiment, I decided to study the depth of container. I had a large bucket, a medium bucket, and a small bucket. For the first week, I decided to add fish food, but I am thinking about adding different types of baits throughout the weeks! Here was my original set up, with it being placed under a tree in my backyard. Additionally, I had placed two...
Observation design Mosquito Monday 🦟 June 20, 2022 I checked in all 5 of my traps and only 1 was successful (homemade trap). I noticed the ones with sugar water had other bugs (dead) rather than mosquito eggs. I also notice that dirty water was less preferred than a cleaner habitat. I was so shocked to see actual larvae and so many pupas. I’ve never seen mosquito eggs before. Sadly, I...
Greetings! My experiment sought to determine which baits were most effective for mosquitos, with what resources I had on hand. To do this I placed 2 sets of samples in two adjacent parts of my AOI, with 4 mosquito traps each. I intend to check these traps every Sunday, counting the mosquito larvae and pupae that I find per trap. These traps followed the safety bottle trap design (there is...
My main goal is to see what attracts mosquitos and although there are so many variables out there I only had the resources to test 2: color vibrancy and bait! I have 6 plastic cups filled with about a cup and a half of water each in addition to their assigned "bait". 2 cups are my controls which only contain water. One is a vibrant purple while the other is white. I keep this paired design for...
Background: This experiment is based in Berryville, Virginia - a rural town with a population of about 4,500. Experimental Design: My experiment aims to answer two questions, a) What type of container (width & depth) suits mosquito breeding best, and b) What type of bait suits mosquito breeding best (naturally vs artificially produced). My variables are as follows, container type -...
Hello, my name is Christine and I’m from Redwood City! I have set up my traps near where I live. For my experiment, I wanted to test to see if mosquitos had a preference for different types of water. I made sugar water, salt water, and dog food water. I also laid out a bowl of just plain tap water as the control. So, my independent variable will be the type of water while my dependent...
My experiment in South Korea has yielded some interesting results, to say the least. For my experiment, I wanted to see if the color of the environment was a significant factor in mosquitoes finding their habitat. Thus, in my pursuit of finding this out, I set up four buckets, two red and two white, to use as the potential nesting grounds for mosquitoes. I filled the four buckets with...
Purpose + Background The overall purpose of my experiment is to determine how the quality of water in a particular mosquito trap affects mosquito laying and breeding. To study this relationship between mosquito breeding and water quality, I set up traps with different types of water, including tap water, filtered water, and pond water. Experimental Design I constructing 5 mosquito...
My experiment is to determine which type of water and bait is most attractive to mosquitos. I had 6 large buckets total, and I filled 3 of them with tap water and the other 3 with water from a pond. The pond contained algae which were included in the water sample. From there, I used fish food, sugar, and grass as my different baits, and I included 1 cupful of each bait in the water...
Purpose: The purpose of this experiment is to determine whether the size of trap openings affects mosquitos' preferences to oviposit. Basically, I wanted to study if mosquitos are attracted to a source more if it is more accessible with a wider opening, or if this didn't play a role in their egg-laying preferences. Background Information: According to preliminary research, mosquitos...
Introduction: For my experiment I decided to test the effects of various commonly used compost materials on mosquito oviposition. Certain essential oils have been proven to either attract or repel mosquitoes, but often these extracts are difficult to come by especially in undeveloped/developing countries. Therefore, I wanted to find a natural repellant against mosquitoes that could easily be...
A Novel investigation that aims to conclude what style of mosquito trap is most effective for reducing mosquito populations in relation with the cost of creating it. INTRODUCTION Ovillanta trap is a form of mosquito larvae trap created using discarded motor vehicle tires. When I was first introduced to the Ovillanta trap by Dr. Low, I became immediately set on building one myself. I didn't...
Hello everyone! As my team's resident novice RF engineer, I figured that I'd write a brief article about something so integral to the A.M.E.A. Project! First, I must introduce some Amateur Radio linguistics and general knowledge that'd be useful in understanding this article! (Note: Originally this section was going to be a lot smaller but then I realized that I needed additional information...
For my experiment, I am testing whether different types of baits would have different impacts on mosquito larvae breeding grounds. Introduction: Mosquitoes are the deadliest animal on the planet. According to the World Health Organization, mosquitoes are responsible for the deaths of over 1 million people each year, most of which are caused by the spread of diseases, such as malaria. To...
Purpose The purpose of this experiment is to determine the prevalence of two characteristics of containers in attracting more mosquitos. I wanted to measure if mosquitos prefer to lay their eggs in locations with more shade as well as how the color of the trap, dark or clear, can also impact this preference. Methods Since Aedes mosquitos, which are the most common type of mosquitos in San...
Purpose: The purpose of this experiment is to determine the prevalence of each container’s exposure to sunlight in attracting more mosquitos. My intent was to measure the difference in the preferences of female mosquitoes to lay their eggs in locations with more or less shade. Methods: After some research, I was able to deduce that the most common mosquitoes in North Georgia...
Introduction: In my trap experiment, I decided to test the attractiveness of different bait types to pregnant female mosquitos. I was interested to discover what conditions drew in mosquitos the most. Experimental Design: I constructed 4 mosquito traps using plastic tupperware containers and filled them each with about 400ml of tap water. I then introduced a different bait...
Purpose: The purpose of this experiment is to determine the type of bait and the container size that attracts the greatest number of mosquitos. I hoped to understand whether the amount of water and the bait in the water made a difference in the oviposition of female mosquitos. Setup: I used 6 different buckets of 3 different sizes and filled them with two types of bait- initially sugar water...
My experiment aims to find the effects of saltwater concentration on mosquito breeding. WEEK ONE- June 13-18, 2022 Hypothesis- Mosquitos are more likely to breed in water with the least amount of salt. All the traps were set up in open Tupperware containers containing- 2.5 cups of tap water, 1 tablespoon of dog kibble, and either 0, 1, or 3 teaspoons of water, depending on which...
I’m located in Reno, Nevada. Reno’s climate is semiarid and Nevada is the driest state in the US. Additionally, Reno’s daily temperatures vary significantly: June’s average temperature high is 29 degrees celsius and its low is 10 degrees Celsius, similarly July’s average temperature high is 34 degrees and its low is 13 degrees celsius. In contrast, mosquitoes tend to breed best at around 29...
Experiment 1: For my first experiment, I tested the effects of water color on mosquito oviposition. Materials: - Three 1.25-liter bottles - Three bottles of food coloring (yellow, green, and blue) - Three rocks - Three paint stirring sticks - Nine dog treat pebbles - Three cups of water Experimental Design: After reading articles such as "New Study Shows Mosquitoes are Attracted to...
I decided to have two controls for my experiment: plain water and sugar water. Since I am testing how mosquitoes react to flowers; specifically, the number of eggs I collect, I wanted to get more variant data by having plain water and sugar water. After the first week of my experiment, I saw that many ants infested the sugar water (as anticipated), however, I found more mosquito larvae in the...
For 4 weeks this summer, much like other Earth Explorer interns, I built a few mosquito traps and set them out near my home within my AOI. I’m located in sunny Plano, Texas, near a creek. To set up my traps, I first bought 4 large, 2 Liter soda bottles, drank a small bit, and emptied the rest out. I know we shouldn’t eat in the lab, but let’s just say the experiment started after the bottles...
For my experiment, I decided to test the effect of sunlight and different colored traps on number of mosquito larvae. I started my experiment by gathering six white buckets. I then painted two of them red and two of them blue. I also covered each bucket with a sealant. After the buckets were prepared, I placed a white, red and blue bucket directly in the sunlight. The remaining three...
Introduction To follow along with NASA GLOBE’s mission to encourage public involvement in mosquito observation research, I decided to conduct a small experiment to determine preferred mosquito habitats. I’m writing this blog about my experience to encourage people to become citizen scientists as well and take part in the GLOBE Observer App’s mission [1]! Hypothesis Since mosquitos most...
Introduction California is home to 53 mosquito species, including many that serve as vectors for diseases like West Nile, Malaria, and Dengue. In my county of California, Santa Clara, mosquitoes from the genus Culex and Aedes are most common. For mosquitos to keep their population flourishing, female mosquitos lay eggs in stagnant containers of water. These eggs then go through the mosquito...
Purpose: My experiment aims to test whether: 1) Ovitraps or Safe Bottle Traps attract more mosquitoes 2) CO2 traps or CO2 under light at night attract more mosquitoes Background: Studies have shown that mosquitoes can detect carbon dioxide and may move towards the area with an increase in carbon dioxide. In fact, pregnant women are a feast for mosquitoes! This is due to an...
My experiment is testing the effect various types of bait have Mosquito Habitation. My research consists of three five gallon buckets, all filled with equal amounts of water and placed under shade. Each of my buckets has a different type of bait (dirt, leaves, and wood chips). Each week I take out any larvae I see and refill the traps to the 9 inch mark (to keep the water level constant each...
I set up four traps in my back yard each one has the exact same bait but each one is a different size. The bait that I used for my mosquito traps is dog chow that was fermented for a few days. The first trap that I set up was a small plastic water bottle cut in half then I placed the bait, then the wooden stick but the first trap was a complete failure since my dog ate everything inside...
Firstly, my first week wasn't the most successful; I placed 2 buckets around my AOI, but wasn't able to get a third down. I walked in one business and asked if I could use the land in the back. They said they would give me a call when they could... never got that call through the week. I also called a church in my AOI and, again, they would call me back. No call. Lastly, I tried my elementary...
I'm going to share my experiences conducting a mosquito trap experiment in the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio. Throughout the summer, I will have 4 mosquito traps set up in my backyard, each baited with different substances, but otherwise identical. The goal of this controlled experiment is to see what type of bait is most successful at attracting adult female mosquitoes to lay their eggs. Week 1...
My mosquito trap experiment is testing the effects of different kinds of bait and locations on mosquitoes. I have set up three different traps in three different locations with three different kinds of bait. Experiments and Hypotheses Trap #1: This trap is located in my backyard, which has an abundance of wasps. I know that wasps are not predators of mosquitoes, but I believe that the...
Hypothesis: It is expected that most mosquito larvae will be present in alkaline water with the highest pH while the least mosquito larvae in the acidic water with low pH. Setup: 5 identical buckets were placed in a shaded area in my backyard, several meters from each other. The independent variable in this case was the pH of the water as it varied from strongly acidic to strongly alkaline....
Setup/Procedure In this experiment, I used four traps with four different baits as such: Concentrated Processed Sugar (Gatorade), Less Concentrated Processed Sugar (Refined Sugar Dissolved in Water), Concentrated Less Processed Sugar (Honey Dissolved in Water), Less Concentrated and Less Processed Sugar (Coconut Water). This was of course was alongside the control trap, consisting solely of...
In this experiment, I will be exploring how geoposition, type of bait, and container size influence female mosquitos’ choice of where to lay their eggs. Experimental design There will be a total of 5 traps. Three of the traps will be positioned at a location near my house. They will be separated by a reasonable distance in the same type of environment to minimize the experimental error...
Introduction/Theory For my mosquito experiment, I am testing how different kinds of bait affect the number of oviposition in my trap. Different mosquito species are attracted to different habitats, natural or artificial, some of which have been changing due to climate change. Mosquitoes are the most dangerous animal in the world because of their disease transmitting abilities, so...
Research Questions: My experiment ran two adjacent triads of mosquito traps aimed to explore two questions: whether the local mosquito species in my area prefer to oviposit in containers with greater surface areas of water, and whether the same mosquitoes would prefer to oviposit in particular containers with varying types of water "bait". Data: After 5 weeks of running this...
During my field study, I observed that I found more mosquito larvae in dirty ditches under an open sky. Based on my observations, for my mosquito traps, the specific variables I chose to control were centered around the quality of water and trap wall materials. I made 3 traps: A deep ceramic pot with mud, water, sticks, and dead and live plants, a cut water bottle with clear water and black...
*Last Updated July 14, 2022 Purpose: For my experiment, I am testing what color container and type of water mosquitos are most attracted to. Background research: During the weekly science session with Dr. Alison Parker, I learned more about mosquito habitats and where mosquitos breed. Mosquitos lay their eggs in/near water, and mosquitos in their early larvae and pupae stages live in...
I am currently testing the attractability of mosquitoes to black and white, with a control of transparent plastic. This could help us determine what clothes to dress in to avoid mosquito bites, and therefore the spread of disease, when going outside. Materials: Three 1 liter clear plastic containers One 1 liter white plastic container One 1 liter black plastic container Five wooden...
Initial Setup I decided to test how sunlight and container size would effect mosquito oviposition both in terms of how many larvae and what type of larvae are found in each container. Testing For Sunlight I found two locations in the same neighborhood with very different levels of sunlight. My first location is a sunny and open back yard (with my cat): My second location is a shady...
As my trap experiment, I'm comparing location, trap contents, and trap container (mostly the container, hence the title). I have 8 traps set up across 3 locations - 3 in one, 3 in another, and 2 in the last. Each location's traps all share an origin for the water they use and the bait they use, but each of the traps in a location uses a different type of container - either a dark blue bucket,...
The last 4 weeks of field trips and mosquito mapping have made me curious about the effect of water quality on the habitation of mosquito larvae in water bodies. So far, I have gone to a canal, creeks, ponds, and backyards. All these places vary in their water quality and mosquito larvae content. <--- The creek I visited had mostly clear water <--- Canal with poor water quality and lots...
After reading the article "Container Type Affects Mosquito Oviposition Choice," I was inspired to test how a container's surface area, an abiotic parameter, may affect female mosquito oviposition choice (Parker et al). At first, I was really curious about how the ratio of surface area to volume in a container affected oviposition choice. Thus, I began my experiment by finding containers with...
Conclusion: Although no mosquitoes were found, this process has helped me understand the methodology of making an experiment and having to deal with hardships and setbacks. There were many potential sources of error both within the system of the experiment and with outside forces. Systematic errors could have stemmed from the trap design or location. The weather was a factor of random...
I decided to test the impacts of fertilizer on mosquito breeding habitats. Background: I live in the Tampa Bay Area in Florida, and a major issue facing our ecosystems is fertilizer entering our waterways from runoff after people fertilize their lawns before it rains. This can lead to major algae blooms, like red tide, which are harmful to the rest of our marine organisms. Just last year,...
NYC is very hot and stuffy in the summer, but also has a lot of shade. A large part of this shade comes from large buildings, but most blocks have trees and there are some notable parks with a lot of tree cover as well. I get bitten all the time in the park when not in direct sunlight, but not so much when I'm downtown with the same level of shade. I wondered if there was something to...
Background: I live in a suburban area around 30 miles south of San Francisco in the West Bay, near the wetlands/the bay. Our county regularly treats the wetland trails for mosquitoes, and they also do aerial treatment, especially in the spring when mosquitoes like to breed. Many previous literature papers concluded that mosquitoes prefer to oviposit in slightly alkaline water; as such, I...
Selecting the right satellite images and products can be challenging! In this blog, I am sharing my learning and experience of working with satellite images for image classification and visualization. The use of remote sensing satellite images to measure water qualities is a viable option to predict and control vector-borne diseases. Space agencies, such as NASA and ESA, provide open access to...
I currently have four traps in operational order. Two at one of my AOIs and two in backyard that were prototypes that I've left up because they seem to be performing admirably. I My traps have been up for about a week, the prototypes were deployed a day before the other two, and I haven't seen any mosquitos or mosquito larvae. I did take care to note that I used dog food in my trap,...
Have you ever wondered why NASA has chosen to follow water? NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has captured the distinct signature of water outside our solar system. NASA's Artemis program is examining the presence of water on the Moon in advance of sending and establishing a sustainable human presence there. The answer is simple - water is key to life as we know it, including on planet...
What motivated you to volunteer as a NASA citizen scientist? How did you learn about NASA citizen science? Well ,I learned about NASA citizen science when I participated in the 2020 (STEM). Due to my experiences with mosquitoes and mosquito-borne disease as a Sri Lankan, I decided to join the Mosquito Mappers team, where part of the was collecting and analyzing GLOBE Mosquito Habitat Mapper...
I thought October 5, 2021, would be a normal day. I sat in a diner with my family after school, scrolling through my email and sipping a mint chocolate chip milkshake. It had been two months since my NASA STEM Enhancement in Earth Science (SEES) internship ended– or so I thought. Suddenly, I received an intriguing email. The subject line read, “AGU Fall Meeting 2021 Abstract Status...
During the SEES internship, I got the opportunity to do data collection fieldwork. This required me to go around my neighborhood and take pictures of specific points that had been calculated using a Python notebook. Some of these points were in parts of my neighborhood that I’d never been to, despite being in my fourteenth year of living there. I even saw a pack of wild javelinas in a...
Image Credit: Jenn Glaser, ScribeArts If the last mosquito season felt longer, or if mosquito bites seemed to hurt more than you remembered, you didn’t imagine it! Mosquitoes respond sensitively to changes in heat, humidity, and precipitation, and serve as buzzy, annoying sentinels of our changing climate. Here’s how mosquitoes are letting us know our climate is changing. ...
Coming into the NASA SEES Internship, I had only ever experienced science through a one-dimensional lens. I always knew the results, experimenting just to prove existing knowledge. This internship taught me to look outside the box and challenge my preconceived notions to discover new relationships that exist on our earth. Through our weekly meetings, I got to interact with guest speakers and...
Have you ever wondered how NASA develops accurate models of the earth's surface from space? How do we know the topography of the planet, the behavior of the water cycle, or the changes to sea level? My experience with the NASA SEES Earth System Explorers virtual internship this summer gave me a glimpse into the process of how such data is collected, analyzed, and ultimately presented:...
After digging through my sea of emails, I remember the thrill I felt when I received my acceptance into the NASA SEES Internship Earth Explorers- Mosquito Mappers. Realizing this would be the first time I experienced a program remotely, my mind raced with questions. What will it be like, being part of a research team? What if I mess up the registration process? What would research look...
Background Remote working and remote learning presented challenges to us all. As a Master Trainer in Colombia, Juan Felipe Restrepo Mesa faced and overcame his share of challenges when working with a new group of educators from rural areas. Most of the training material and the tests that need to be answered were in English. This, of course, means that citizen scientists who do not speak...
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