Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Gulf Coast CESU

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The National Wetlands Research Center (NWRC) of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is offering a funding opportunity for research investigating the areas of advanced spatial analysis and modeling methods including new data visualization approaches, optimized access and distribution of scientific modeling data, and standards-based global data sharing. The research will also include biological modeling improvements utilizing neural networks, modeling computational limitations utilizing grid computing, and high performance web mapping enhancements utilizing innovative caching techniques. The goal of this project is to promote cooperation between the USGS and CESU partners to continue research and development of desktop and web-based applications focused on applied research in spatial data management, manipulation, and delivery. This development effort will be used to create new working prototype programming solutions and to extend and build upon the functionality and capabilities of existing developed desktop modeling software suites. Research Objectives: The CESU recipient will conduct research that complements ongoing NWRC efforts to develop and integrate technologies used by DOI partners to address issues regarding ecological modeling performance, data dissemination and visualization by addressing the following: (1) What is the current status of computer science technologies which address the challenges surrounding standards-based global data access and sharing? (2) Investigate or develop new technologies enabling broader access to modeling datasets. (3) What is the current status of advance computing technologies which address computationally complex ecologic and hydrologic models? (4) How could technologies such as neural networks be used to improve ecologic and hydrologic modeling efforts within DOI? (5) Investigate or develop new technologies which enable the decoupling of models and their respective inputs thus increasing the flexibility of models to generate alternative output scenarios. Ideally, co-locating research staff within the National Wetland Research Center’s applications team would offer the best opportunity for a recipient’s research to have the most impact on restoration and management resources.

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