IMCI is pleased to welcome Erich Seamon, a quantitative climatologist and data scientist, to the postdoctoral team. Seamon holds a MS in geological sciences from Bowling Green State University and a Ph.D. in Natural Resources from the University of Idaho. He has worked on several research team collaborations throughout the Pacific Northwest and thrives in this synergistic environment of dynamic, multi-disciplinary science research.
Seamon is the second postdoc to join us in as many months, which is reflective of our current geospatial modeling core initiative.
“Understanding the interactions and changing importance of model inputs can often times be just as valuable as the final predictive outcome,” said Seamon. “IMCI’s collaborative, team approach to complex systems is exactly the type of research I want to be engaged in.”
Eye of the Storm
Outside of his life full of numbers and quantitative research, Seamon is an artist. He paints abstract pieces that represent the intersection of chaos and organization – which is similar to the chaotic relationships of the climatic and atmospheric worlds he studies. “I’ve found that music and art are a nice offset to my research,” he said.
Humans and zebrafish
have more in common than one might think. They share 70 percent of the same DNA
coding; and zebrafish muscles, blood, immune system, kidneys and even eyes
share many human features. Consequently, zebrafish are an important animal model
for human biomedical research.
Recognizing this, Professor Deborah Stenkamp and Assistant Professor Diana Mitchell, both cellular and molecular biology experts in U of I’s College of Science, proposed to conduct retinal regeneration and developmental studies on zebrafish. Such research could help us understand the mechanisms behind the successful regeneration and regulation of genes governing color vision. These studies can also help pave the way for new approaches to help treat humans with vision loss — and possibly other disorders that can deteriorate the nervous system.
To conduct these studies, Stenkamp and Mitchell needed a clean, contained environment to keep these disease-susceptible animals safe and healthy. Several U of I entities stepped in to provide $73,000 in funding for the solution: three stand-alone ‘fish rack’ containment systems with advanced filtration features. The Office of Research and Economic Development, College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho NIH IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) program, Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies (IBEST), and Institute for Modeling Collaboration and Innovation (IMCI) all helped support the effort.
The new
racks will allow Stenkamp and Mitchell to perform ‘clean’ experiments on
zebrafish tissue regeneration and development – without any pathogenic microbes
that could complicate their experimental outcomes. The system, located in U of
I’s Laboratory Animal Research Facility (LARF), will also help future U of I
researchers conduct similar biomedical studies on zebrafish.
The three racks
feature a variety of small and large tanks, all monitored and controlled by a
computerized system that ensures a healthy environment for the fish. These
computers bring precise amounts of sodium bicarbonate – better known as baking
soda – into the water to ensure pH balance; deliver exact measurements of brine
to simulate brackish waters, where some zebrafish naturally live; and perform
various other functions. Water storage tanks are also included in the system as
a safeguard in case of system leaks or other water loss events.
Group members: Clayton Christensen, Payton Finney, F. B. Wróblewski
Originated: April 2019
Description: This Working Group is part of the U of I’s NSF Track-2 EPSCOR Grant. They hold virtual reality meetings and user evaluation meetings bi-monthly.
The DVPS workgroup develops a novel approach to storytelling in the metaverse. During the past two years, we created new viewer’s experience immersed in the virtual ecosystems of Paradise Creek, a small river running between Moscow (Idaho) and Pullman (Washington). Realizing some of the original environment was altered, we created a story where herons and humans encounter each other in unexpected ways and the original river space could be discovered.
Feedback: “Your work and achievements, and the projects at the Virtual Reality Lab at University of Idaho greatly contribute to our AR/VR/MR community at SIGGRAPH.” Anna Queiroz, Ph.D. Virtual Human Interaction Lab, Stanford University / Immersive Pavilion Chair, SIGGRAPH 2023
Current projects:
AUGMENTING VIRTUAL LUNAR TERRAIN WITH PROCEDURAL AND MACHINE LEARNING MODELS IN REAL-TIME
54th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 13-17/03/2023, J. M. Gauthier, Virtual Technology and Design, and F. B. Wróblewski, Department of Earth and Spatial Sciences, University of Idaho.
“Moments in Nature” (MiN), a collaborative storytelling environment in virtual reality. (2022) was selected with the 10 best virtual reality projects worldwide and presented at Real Time Live! Siggraph Asia 2022 an international conference and exhibition on computer graphics and interactive techniques, in Daegu, South Korea. (12/2022). Credits: Jean-Marc Gauthier in collaboration with Payton Finney. Narration by Savannah Thomson. Music and sound design by Alex Ho. VTD collaborators: Emma Ferguson, Clayton Christensen and Randall Erickson. Jean-Marc Gauthier, All Rights Reserved. December 2022.
VR Classroom online project, version 1.0 (2021- 22) and version 2.0 (2022- 23). Interdisciplinary virtual reality project to be part of a new online curriculum. Design and implementation by Jean-Marc Gauthier in collaboration with Clayton Christensen, Brian Cleveley (VTD), Rayce Bird, (VTD) and Ken Udas, Vice-Provost for Digital Learning Initiatives.
Virtual Forest VR project (2022 to present). Interdisciplinary virtual reality project as part of a new online curriculum in partnership with the US Forest Service and other agencies. Design and implementation by Jean-Marc Gauthier in collaboration with Sunny Wallace Office of the President & Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President, Heather Heward, CNR, Charles Goebel (CNR) and Ken Udas, Vice-Provost for Digital Learning Initiatives.
Fire Danger animations (2022- present). Hand drawn animations created for the Fire Danger group at University of Idaho and the US Forest Service. Created by Jean-Marc Gauthier, Payton Finney and Ciara Bordeaux.
This article was written by Leigh Cooper in University of Idaho Communications and Marketing. View the original article here. While IMCI was not involved in the funding of this research project, we are are thrilled to count Dr. Ryan Long as one of our participating faculty.
MOSCOW, Idaho – October 17, 2019 – A University of Idaho-led team of researchers found that experimental fences reduced the number of times elephants left Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park to raid nearby crops by 80-95%; beehive fences appeared to be the most effective at deterring crop raiding while also providing a revenue source for neighboring villages through the production of honey.
Two male elephants approach a beehive fence. Image by University of Idaho.
The team’s evaluation of various fencing strategies for discouraging crop raiding by elephants outside Gorongosa was published today in Conservation Letters.
Crop raiding by wildlife results in billions of dollars in economic losses globally and threatens wildlife conservation efforts by creating negative human attitudes toward wildlife. Human and wildlife conflict can be exacerbated near protected areas like Gorongosa National Park, where the elephant population has risen to roughly 600 after falling by more than 90% during a civil war in the 1970s-90s.
“The better the elephant population does, the more animals leave the park and raid crops. That becomes a legitimate issue for the people living near the park as they are mostly subsistence farmers,” said Ryan Long, a U of I assistant professor and a lead researcher on the paper. “Negative interactions can lead to elephants being killed by people, or people being killed by elephants.”
Long, master’s student Paola Branco and colleagues tested the effectiveness of different fences at discouraging elephants from leaving the park. The study area incorporated four communities along 11.6 miles of the Pungue River, which marks the park’s southern border. The team fenced 13 of the 18 elephant river crossings in the study area. They used multiple fence types including beehive fences — free-swinging hives connected with twine — and chili fences — woven fabric soaked with chili-infused vegetable oil.
The researchers tracked elephant movements through GPS collars placed on 12 male elephants, camera-trap data and local reporting; they compared the number of elephant crossings in fall 2016 before fences were erected to the number of elephant crossings in fall 2017 when fences were in place. The number of crossings in the study area fell from 67 to 32, and the mean number of crossings at fenced locations decreased from 4.4 to 1.0.
The beehive fences appeared to be the most effective deterrent — a 95% reduction in crossings was observed — although the small sample size didn’t allow for statistical differentiation among fence types, Long said. The study indicates various fences can reduce crop raiding, and working with local communities to modify animal behavior and human attitudes simultaneously can mitigate human and wildlife conflict.
“To be effective, mitigation must be affordable and maintained locally. There must be an incentive to maintain them, and they need to improve the perception of wildlife by locals,” Long said. “We picked these fences because, first, it’s cost-prohibitive to create a physical barrier to stop the largest land mammal on Earth, especially across a large area. Secondly, there’s intrinsic motivation for the communities to maintain these fences over the long term, both for the purpose of deterring elephants and for the purpose of producing a marketable product, honey.”
The initial cost of fence construction was borne by the park and donors, while local communities were responsible for maintenance and harvest and sale of the honey. A beehive fence with 15 hives, like the ones used in the study, can generate from two to four times the current minimum annual wage in Mozambique. Based on the study’s results, the Conservation Department of Gorongosa is now deploying beehive fences at crossings all along the Pungue River.
This project was funded under National Science Foundation award 1656642. The total project funding is $700,000, of which 100% is the federal share.
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Media Contacts
Ryan Long Assistant Professor of Wildlife Sciences Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences 208-885-7225 ralong@uidaho.edu
Leigh Cooper Science and Content Writer University of Idaho Communications and Marketing 208-885-1048 leighc@uidaho.edu
About the University of Idaho
The University of Idaho, home of the Vandals, is Idaho’s land-grant, national research university. From its residential campus in Moscow, U of I serves the state of Idaho through educational centers in Boise, Coeur d’Alene and Idaho Falls, nine research and Extension centers, plus Extension offices in 42 counties. Home to nearly 12,000 students statewide, U of I is a leader in student-centered learning and excels at interdisciplinary research, service to businesses and communities, and in advancing diversity, citizenship and global outreach. U of I competes in the Big Sky Conference. Learn more at uidaho.edu
Group members: Daniel Weinreich, Chris Marx, Tanya Miura, Brenda Rubenstein, Shala Nemati, Monica Pedroni, Sergey Stolyar, Akaorde Serki, David Morgan, Maya Weisman
Originated: October, 2019
Description:
SCGW is interested in fusing expertise at UI and Brown towards understanding the response of cell populations with single-cell resolution to stress, as well as the relationship between this form of stress response with evolution.
One of our goals is to generate and submit manuscripts that are related to the GenoPheno EPSCoR project. A second goal pertains to the generation of preliminary data towards submitting future proposals that aim at relating single-cell phenomena with stress response and eventually evolution.
