Environmental Data Collection Research Articles

Global Water Challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa and how to strengthen science-policy dialogues on transboundary governance and cooperation

The United Nations Water Conference 2023 highlighted the need for concrete actions to boost integrated water resources management for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and called for strategies to enhance cooperation among stakeholders. Technical cooperation between countries and institutions in transboundary systems, e.g., on environmental data collection, is an effective way to promote international diplomacy and prevent disputes between riparian states. Still, establishing collaborations to inform bilateral dialogues on the identification of environmental challenges, their causes, and development priorities may be a difficult task in itself. This is particularly true in the African context because of limited resources and lack of data. In this paper, we analyse the case of nine transboundary river basins in Sub-Saharan Africa to identify which water-management challenges are perceived as most important by the different riparian countries from a policy and scientific perspective. Our insights are based on the most up-to-date scientific papers, open access reports and technical literature, river basin authority’s strategy papers, projects’ summary reports, and national policy documents. We also complement these sources with the pieces of information we gained through collaborations with regional and local experts, and management bodies (such as river basin authorities). We highlight the current water-related conflicts and the gap between the priorities identified by the scientific community and different riparian countries on how to tackle hydro-climatic change and improve food and energy security, human and environmental health. Based on our experience, we discuss some keys to building trust among stakeholders, strengthening cooperation, and identifying shared water-governance measures in transboundary river basins. They are: (i) connect science and policy to provide sound knowledge for the right questions, (ii) value local knowledge and exploit the complementarity of different perspectives, (iii) consider multiple spatial scales and multi-level stakeholders to leave no one behind, (iv) promote a culture which values trade-offs and handles complexity, and (v) co-create data and knowledge to facilitate stakeholder dialogue from problem definition to intervention identification.

Fisheries independent surveys in a new era of offshore wind energy development

Abstract Fisheries independent surveys require rethinking because of increasing spatial restrictions and interactions with offshore wind energy development (OWD). Fisheries, protected species, and environmental data collections have been conducted by scientific institutions to meet societal demands for food security, conservation, and other marine uses. These data collections provide information on key resource measures, essential for fisheries, protected species, and ecosystem management. With the increase in pace and magnitude of OWD's industrialization of marine waters, disruptions in these long-term time series can be expected. These disruptions will impact the ability to support current and future management goals and objectives. This paper presents an expert survey on the perceptions of OWD interactions with common survey designs and survey methodologies in Europe and the U.S., along with a selected sample of 75 fisheries independent surveys in the U.S. and Europe providing an initial assessment and description of potential impacts from OWD. About 72% of the surveys sampled record interactions with operational, planned or future OWD. Four case studies demonstrate efforts to address these interactions within European regions that have operational OWD and the U.S. where development has just begun. Finally, we make recommendations for future research important to continue meaningful scientific-based management advice.

Personalized Weather Station

Abstract: This research outlines the conception, design, and implementation of a personalized weather monitoring system integrating multiple sensors for comprehensive environmental data collection. The project aims to create a sophisticated weather station utilizing the DHT11 sensor for temperature and humidity measurements, MQ135 sensor for gas detection, dust sensor for particulate matter assessment, and rain sensor for precipitation detection. The system's architecture incorporates Esp32-based data acquisition, employing sensor interfacing and data processing to obtain real-time environmental parameters. The project's significance lies in providing localized, accurate, and immediate weather insights beyond the capabilities of conventional smartphone applications.

The Analytical Validity of Stride Detection and Gait Parameters Reconstruction Using the Ankle-Mounted Inertial Measurement Unit Syde®.

The increasing use of inertial measurement units (IMU) in biomedical sciences brings new possibilities for clinical research. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the accuracy of the IMU-based wearable Syde® device, which allows day-long and remote continuous gait recording in comparison to a reference motion capture system. Twelve healthy subjects (age: 23.17 ± 2.04, height: 174.17 ± 6.46 cm) participated in a controlled environment data collection and performed a series of gait tasks with both systems attached to each ankle. A total of 2820 strides were analyzed. The results show a median absolute stride length error of 1.86 cm between the IMU-based wearable device reconstruction and the motion capture ground truth, with the 75th percentile at 3.24 cm. The median absolute stride horizontal velocity error was 1.56 cm/s, with the 75th percentile at 2.63 cm/s. With a measurement error to the reference system of less than 3 cm, we conclude that there is a valid physical recovery of stride length and horizontal velocity from data collected with the IMU-based wearable Syde® device.

The Impacts of Sunlight on the Lichen Scots Pine Forest Community

The habitat of the lichen Scots pine forest is currently one of the communities that requires attention and active protection due to its rapid disappearance. In our study, we identified factors that can be modified to preserve this habitat. The primary focus of our research was on the significance of tree height and sunlight in fostering the development of a lichen-rich layer within the lichen Scots pine forest. Additionally, we investigated the environmental factors influencing the presence of specific species of lichens and bryophytes, including those that form communities and those that displace species characteristic of the lichen Scots pine forest community. Our study was conducted in Bory Tucholskie National Park (N-W Poland) using 20 experimental sites and 248 point-frame plots from spring 2021 to winter 2022. Fieldwork involved species surveys, measurements of photosynthetic activity in lichens and bryophytes, and collection of environmental data. Through parametric testing, modeling, and mapping, our main findings confirmed that light availability, influenced by tree height, is a critical factor in maintaining a well-preserved lichen-rich layer and facilitating habitat reintroduction.

Systematic literature review: Digital twins' role in enhancing security for Industry 4.0 applications

AbstractConnectivity and data exchange are key features of Industry 4.0. In this paradigm, (Industrial) Internet of Things ((I)IoT) devices are a vital component facilitating the collection and transmission of environmental data from the physical system to the central station for processing and analysis (digital twin [DT]). However, although (I)IoT devices play a critical role in this process, they are not inherently equipped to run strong encryption mechanisms to secure the data they transmit over wired or wireless channels. This research aims to explore the potential of DTs in securing Industry 4.0 applications and the security mechanism employed to ensure confidentiality, integrity, and authentication of data communicated between (I)IoT and DT through a systematic literature review (SLR). This SLR, based on the analysis of 67 papers published between 2018 and 2023, underscores the evolving significance of DT technology, particularly within the ambit of Industry 4.0. The findings illuminate the pervasive influence of DT technology across multiple industrial sectors. The result SLR revealed that DT is growing and being widely adopted as a security tool particularly in Industry 4.0 using enabling technology like machine learning, data analytics, blockchain, and 5G networks to provide security solutions such as intrusion detection, vulnerability assessment, cyber range, and threat intelligence.

Application of non-lethal bioSPME-LC-MS/MS for the detection of human pharmaceuticals in soft corals: A survey at the North Nilandhe atoll (Maldives)

At present the information regarding the occurrence of human pharmaceuticals (PhaCs) in coral reefs and their potential impacts on the associated fauna is limited. To optimize the collection of data in these delicate environments, we employed a solid-phase microextraction (bioSPME) and liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) procedure that enabled in vivo determinations in soft corals. Specifically, we researched the antibiotics Ofloxacin Sulfamethoxazole and Clarithromycin, the anti-inflammatory Diclofenac Propyphenazone Ketoprofen and Amisulpride, the neuroactive compounds Gabapentin-lactam, the beta-blocker Metoprolol and the antiepileptic Carbamazepine. Reproducibility was between 2.1% and 9.9% and method detection limits LODs) were between 0.2 and 1.6 ng/g and LOQs between 0.8 and 5.4 mg/g. The method was then applied to establish a baseline for the occurrence of these compounds in the Maldivian archipelago. Colonies of Sarcophyton sp. and Sinularia sp. were sampled along an inner-outer reef transect. Five of the ten targeted PhaCs were identified, and 40% of the surveyed coral colonies showed the occurrence of at least one of the selected compounds. The highest concentrations were found inside the atoll rim. Oxoflacin (9.5 ± 3.9 ng/g) and Ketoprofen (4.5 ± 2.3 ng/g) were the compounds with the highest average concentrations. Outside the atoll rim, only one sample showed contamination levels above the detection limit. No significant differences were highlighted among the two surveyed soft coral species, both in terms of average concentrations and bioconcentration factors (BCFs).

Advancing Sea Turtle Monitoring at Nesting and Near Shore Habitats with UAVs, Data Loggers, and State of the Art Technologies

In the face of environmental change, high-quality and fine-scale information is essential in order to monitor the highly dynamic environments on land and sea. While traditional approaches to data collection face a number of practical limitations, advanced technologies could supplement and further improve our efforts. Taking sea turtles as a modeling organism, we present a novel methodological framework for monitoring species by means of advanced technologies, including Unmanned Aerial Vehicles coupled with image and temperature sensors. Diverse monitoring protocols were refined through pilot studies conducted in both terrestrial and nearshore sea turtle habitats. Our approach focuses on the collection of information for critical biological parameters concerning species reproduction and habitat use, following the complex life cycle of the species. Apart from biological information, our framework encompasses also the collection of information on crucial environmental factors that might be changing due to current and future human-derived pressures, such as beach erosion and temperature profile, as well as highly important human activities such as recreational use within nesting beaches that could undermine habitat quality for the species. This holistic and standardized approach to monitoring using advanced technologies could foster our capacity for conservation, resolving difficulties previously addressed and improving the collection of biological and environmental data in the frame of an adaptive management scheme.

An Efficient Privacy Protection Mechanism for Blockchain-Based Federated Learning System in UAV-MEC Networks.

The widespread use of UAVs in smart cities for tasks like traffic monitoring and environmental data collection creates significant privacy and security concerns due to the transmission of sensitive data. Traditional UAV-MEC systems with centralized data processing expose this data to risks like breaches and manipulation, potentially hindering the adoption of these valuable technologies. To address this critical challenge, we propose UBFL, a novel privacy-preserving federated learning mechanism that integrates blockchain technology for secure and efficient data sharing. Unlike traditional methods relying on differential privacy (DP), UBFL employs an adaptive nonlinear encryption function to safeguard the privacy of UAV model updates while maintaining data integrity and accuracy. This innovative approach enables rapid convergence, allowing the base station to efficiently identify and filter out severely compromised UAVs attempting to inject malicious data. Additionally, UBFL incorporates the Random Cut Forest (RCF) anomaly detection algorithm to actively identify and mitigate poisoning data attacks. Extensive comparative experiments on benchmark datasets CIFAR10 and Mnist demonstrably showcase UBFL's effectiveness. Compared to DP-based methods, UBFL achieves accuracy (99.98%), precision (99.93%), recall (99.92%), and F-Score (99.92%) in privacy preservation while maintaining superior accuracy. Notably, under data pollution scenarios with varying attack sample rates (10%, 20%, and 30%), UBFL exhibits exceptional resilience, highlighting its robust capabilities in securing UAV gradients within MEC environments.

Different Scenarios of Autonomous Operation of an Environmental Sensor Node Using a Piezoelectric-Vibration-Based Energy Harvester.

This paper delves into the application of vibration-based energy harvesting to power environmental sensor nodes, a critical component of modern data collection systems. These sensor nodes play a crucial role in structural health monitoring, providing essential data on external conditions that can affect the health and performance of structures. We investigate the feasibility and efficiency of utilizing piezoelectric vibration energy harvesters to sustainably power environmental wireless sensor nodes on the one hand. On the other hand, we exploit different approaches to minimize the sensor node's power consumption and maximize its efficiency. The investigations consider various sensor node platforms and assess their performance under different voltage levels and broadcast frequencies. The findings reveal that optimized harvester designs enable real-time data broadcasting with short intervals, ranging from 1 to 3 s, expanding the horizons of environmental monitoring, and show that in case the system includes a battery as a backup plan, the battery's lifetime can be extended up to 9 times. This work underscores the potential of vibration energy harvesting as a viable solution for powering sensor nodes, enhancing their autonomy, and reducing maintenance costs in remote and challenging environments. It opens doors to broader applications of sustainable energy sources in environmental monitoring and data collection systems.

Design of cloud data storage security and financial risk control management early warning system based on sensor networks

The wide application of sensor networks has brought great challenges to cloud data storage, such as transmission security, data privacy protection and financial risk control. In order to deal with these challenges, the system establishes a comprehensive management early warning system to ensure the data security and financial risk control of the sensor network. The system integrates sensor network technology and cloud data storage technology, and stores data in the cloud through the collection and transmission of environmental data by sensor nodes. In order to ensure the security of the stored process, the system adopts a series of security mechanisms, such as data encryption, access control and identity authentication, and also introduces the financial risk control module, which helps users to warn and manage financial risks through real-time monitoring and analysis of data in the sensor network. The system provides a user-friendly management interface, allowing users to easily configure and monitor the operating state of the sensor network, and supports flexible expansion and customization to adapt to the needs of different scenarios. Through the application of this system, users can effectively manage and control the security and financial risks of sensor networks in cloud data storage, and improve the efficiency and reliability of data storage management.

Carbon Neutrality in the Building Sector of the Global South—A Review of Barriers and Transformations

This work provides a review of economic, technical, sociocultural, political, and technological barriers that impede carbon neutrality in the building sector of countries in the Global South. These barriers include limitations in public and professional awareness, knowledge, and skills in the construction industry, the lack of ambitious energy codes and green building rating systems, the lack of green financing schemes and investment, costs of materials and technology, and limitations in regulations. Finally, this article recommends five transformations to address the critical barriers and enable net-zero emission status in the building sector of countries in the Global South. These transformations include environmental data collection, stringent building energy codes, and green building system certifications, lifecycle-based thinking and circular design, education enhancement and workforce development, and net-zero emission business practices.

GeoFOR: A collaborative forensic taphonomy database for estimating the postmortem interval

Accurately assessing the postmortem interval (PMI), or the time since death, remains elusive within forensic science research and application. This paper introduces geoFOR, a web-based collaborative application that utilizes ArcGIS and machine learning to deliver improved PMI predictions. The geoFOR application provides a standardized, collaborative forensic taphonomy database that gives practitioners a readily available tool to enter case information that automates the collection of environmental data and delivers a PMI prediction using statistically robust methods. After case submission, the cross-validating machine learning PMI predictive model results in a R² value of 0.82. Contributors receive a predicted PMI with an 80% confidence interval. The geoFOR database currently contains 2529 entries from across the U.S. and includes cases from medicolegal investigations and longitudinal studies from human decomposition facilities. We present the overall findings of the data collected so far and compare results from medicolegal cases and longitudinal studies to highlight previously poorly understood limitations involved in the difficult task of PMI estimation. This novel approach for building a reference dataset of human decomposition is forensically and geographically representative of the realities in which human remains are discovered which allows for continual improvement of PMI estimations as more data is captured. It is our goal that the geoFOR data repository follow the principles of Open Science and be made available to forensic researchers to test, refine, and improve PMI models. Mass collaboration and data sharing can ultimately address enduring issues associated with accurately estimating the PMI within medicolegal death investigations.

Shallow Water Crossings: Elevating Indigenous Knowledge Systems Through Adventure Learning

Background: Outdoor Adventure Education (OAE) predominantly centers learning around individual goal setting and experiences and has not traditionally elevated Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS). Purpose: This research focuses on understanding how student learning and inquiry is affected through OAE that emphasizes the importance of IKS as a starting point for environmental and experiential data collection. Methodology/Approach: Over the course of two multi-day river trips on Idaho's Salmon River during the summer of 2023, 30 incoming university students encountered an Adventure Learning (AL) educational framework centered around IKS. Students used citizen science methods to collect environmental and experiential data to be shared digitally using GIS applications prior to oncampus learning. Web-based surveys will be sent to assess learning impacts. Results will be analyzed for changes in appreciation and awareness of IKS. Conclusions: We anticipate that the data will demonstrate an appreciation and awareness of other ways of knowing within OAE that decenters a Western epistemic ideal of goal driven knowledge production and elevates IKS as a recognized and respected approach to knowledge production. Implications: Incorporating a hybrid environment for incoming university students to address personal knowledge production in context to IKS will promote various decolonizing projects within higher education through shifting student inquiry.

How environmental impact is considered in economic evaluations of critical care: a scoping review.

Health care is a major contributor to climate change, and critical care is one of the sector's highest carbon emitters. Health economic evaluations form an important component of critical care and may be useful in identifying economically efficient and environmentally sustainable strategies. The purpose of this scoping review was to synthesise available literature on whether and how environmental impact is considered in health economic evaluations of critical care. A robust scoping review methodology was used to identify studies reporting on environmental impact in health economic evaluations of critical care. We searched six academic databases to locate health economic evaluations, costing studies and life cycle assessments of critical care from 1993 to present. Four studies met the review's inclusion criteria. Of the 278 healtheconomic evaluations of critical care identified, none incorporated environmental impact into their assessments. Most included studies (n = 3/4) were life cycle assessments, and the remaining study was a prospective observational study. Life cycle assessments used a combination of process-based data collection and modelling to incorporate environmental impact into their economic assessments. Health economic evaluations of critical care have not yet incorporated environmental impact into their assessments, and few life cycle assessments exist that are specific to critical care therapies and treatments. Guidelines and standardisation regarding environmental data collection and reporting in health care are needed to support further research in the field. In the meantime, those planning health economic evaluations should include a process-based life cycle assessment to establish key environmental impacts specific to critical care.

Unmanned Surface Vehicle for Automatic Water Quality Monitoring

This paper presents an affordable, yet efficient approach to Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) design for automated water quality monitoring. Mechanically, the USV employs a catamaran design with robust hardware components, including aluminium structural frames, PVC inflatable tubes, and waterproof enclosures for housing electronics and batteries. The water quality monitoring function is achieved through a multi-parameter sonde controlled by an onboard processing unit, enabling fully automated environmental data collection. With the capability of both GPS-guided and telemetry operation, the USV is suitable to perform various missions/tasks of vast environmental surveillance application on both static water and river setting while maintaining communication with ground control station and server via wireless RF/4G/LTE/GPRS/Wi-Fi networks.

Tracking pygmy blue whales in the Perth Canyon using passive acoustic observatories

Eastern Indian Ocean pygmy blue (EIOPB) whales were localised and tracked through the Perth Canyon area utilising a passive acoustic tracking array. Vocalising animals were tracked using the Type II unit of the EIOPB whale song across recordings for an average of 109.3 min (95% CI ± 27 min), suggesting that animals move slowly through the array area. Comparisons of the distribution of animals between sample years revealed non-uniform distribution of animals suggesting that environmental variables may drive pygmy blue whale spatial distribution within foraging areas. Analysis of the movement patterns of acoustically tracked animals found that animals tracked between January and early March generally exhibited directional movement while singing animals tracked between March and May exhibited directional and milling movement patterns, indicating that they may be foraging, and thus that animals may sing between feeding bouts. Comparisons of visual and acoustic localisations found animals appeared to utilise similar areas around the passive acoustic receiver array on days where survey effort overlapped, though acoustic survey methods returned consistently higher numbers of detections. Further, acoustic and visual detections of animals within the same day were not within the same location highlighting the need for holistic studies of species habitat utilisation. The inclusion of in-situ environmental data collection in the design of future acoustic tracking studies would be valuable to understand whether there is a link between environmental factors at the local scale and the localised movement of whales around the listening area.

Application of Gradient-Dependent Optimal Interpolation in Fishery Analysis of Neon Flying Squid (Ommastrephes bartramii) in the Kuroshio–Oyashio Confluence Region

A key issue in fishery forecasting is the collection of high-precision subsurface environmental data. A data assimilation method, named gradient-dependent optimal interpolation, was used to construct the near-real-time vertical temperature and salinity structure of a squid fishery ground based on Argo observations. The results were verified by truth-finding comparisons and applied to analyze the relationship between neon flying squid and the subsurface environment in the Kuroshio–Oyashio Confluence Region. The temperature and salinity differences between the constructed results and survey data were less than ±0.5 °C and ±0.02, respectively. Most of the relative analysis errors were less than the observational errors. Statistical analysis revealed that the most suitable temperature for squid was 18–24 °C at the near-surface (<5 m), although the squid can endure a temperature range from 11 to 12 °C at a depth of 300 m. There was an obvious thermocline in the fishery ground, with a thermocline depth of 65 m and a mean strength of approximately 0.10 °C/m. The regressive relationship between vertical temperature (thermocline parameters) and squid catch per unit effort (CPUE) followed the exponential (Gaussian) function. The most suitable salinity was 33.0–34.2 at depths shallower than 300 m.

Lunar phase as a dynamic landscape of fear factor affecting elephant crop raiding potential

Risk assessment relies on cost–benefit analysis by prey species in relation to predator behavior. The lunar cycle can have strong influences on the way that predator and prey species behave in their environment as light levels can influence activity patterns. By examining how lunar phase influences behavior, we may be able to better predict instances of human–wildlife conflict. As part of the Elephants and Sustainable Agriculture in Kenya project, over 5 years of study have been dedicated to mitigating human–elephant conflict in the Kasigau Wildlife Corridor in southern Kenya, focusing on the construction of deterrent fences and the collection of environmental data in and bordering the Rukinga Wildlife Sanctuary. Elephant presence around crop fields was hypothesized to have a negative relationship with lunar light levels because of an increase in perceived risk from typically greater human activity with moonlight, and a positive relationship with increased darkness during the waning moon phases. The lunar phase data were compared to elephant presence within 12 m of experimental crop fields along the boundary of their wild habitat and human agricultural land to provide insight for potential crop raiding events. Elephants were present significantly less during the full and gibbous moon phases when compared to the new moon phase, and significantly more during the new and waning moon phases. Our findings are being shared with the farmers living in the KWC and may be useful to others living in high HEC areas by providing a form of early warning system that also may have broader applications in the mitigation of other human–wildlife interactions.

Reconciling Identity Narratives

Isotopic methods have provided breakthrough insights into bioarchaeological identity studies, yet merit more critical theoretical perspectives. Inspired by and in conversation with intersectional feminist, Indigenous, and environmental literatures, we interrogate with and for whom such research is conducted. Potential inequities in bioarchaeological research using isotopes include the extractive and specialized nature of isotopic methods. Additionally, in the context of identity studies, Western notions of the individual may separate humans from nature, creating an artificial division between people and place. We propose isotopic baselines may create amore engaged practice by considering living human dynamics and place. Looking toward a more inclusive and equitable future for bioarchaeological and isotopic research, we propose ways to reduce power imbalances created by isotopic research. Ultimately, we suggest the collection and interpretation of environmental baseline data provide an opportunity to reconcile and expand conceptualizations of identity beyond the West.