BBC Earth shared a video on how storms, specifically Hurricane Irma, has affected Florida’s mangroves and their overall habitat in the Everglades. Research Associate, Edward Castaneda, from the Southeast Environmental Research Center spoke about how other factors like warming oceans, sea level rises, and human encroachment are causing mangroves to decline globally. By monitoring mangroves post-Irma, their team hopes to better understand recovery from human impact.
NASA is teaming up with FIU by creating new technology that can aid mangrove recovery, such as a terrestrial laser scanner. This scanner allows them to view a 3D reconstruction of the forest and closely see the damage profiles on the trees. One of the scientist was an FIU alumnus, David Lagomasino, who graduated with a B.S. and Ph.D. in Geological Sciences, and is now at the University of Maryland and NASA.
View the video above for a closer look at their research.
