Data in Dissonance: An Examination and Comparison of Data Regarding Savannah's Biodiversity
Type of Presentation
Poster
Description
.
Abstract
During the Nixon administration, congress with the aid of environmental scientists and lawyers passed the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA). ESA was not specific to any state in the United States. It is up to the states to collect information on endangered or threatened species themselves. This issue is especially noticeable in the state of Georgia as the state relies on individual researchers to collect and catalog information on the states biodiversity. Often, this information is not as up to date as national and international databases, as states neither have the time, money, resources to dedicate. Additionally, these databases can be difficult to comprehend by the average person, thus jeopardizing the potential for their involvement. The goal of this project was to create a lay person-oriented database for Coastal Georgia, particularly Savannah.. To create this database, information from Georgia’s Wildlife Resources Division’s Biodiversity Portal was compared with the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Redlist and together merged into a single database. Additionally, another aim of the project was to create a digital wildlife refuge and museum on the history of biodiversity conservation along Georgia’s coast. Through the website artsteps.com this refuge and museum was created.
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Robert Batchelor
Department of Primary Presenter's Major
Department of History
Location
Lobby
Symposium Year
2023
Data in Dissonance: An Examination and Comparison of Data Regarding Savannah's Biodiversity
Lobby
During the Nixon administration, congress with the aid of environmental scientists and lawyers passed the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA). ESA was not specific to any state in the United States. It is up to the states to collect information on endangered or threatened species themselves. This issue is especially noticeable in the state of Georgia as the state relies on individual researchers to collect and catalog information on the states biodiversity. Often, this information is not as up to date as national and international databases, as states neither have the time, money, resources to dedicate. Additionally, these databases can be difficult to comprehend by the average person, thus jeopardizing the potential for their involvement. The goal of this project was to create a lay person-oriented database for Coastal Georgia, particularly Savannah.. To create this database, information from Georgia’s Wildlife Resources Division’s Biodiversity Portal was compared with the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Redlist and together merged into a single database. Additionally, another aim of the project was to create a digital wildlife refuge and museum on the history of biodiversity conservation along Georgia’s coast. Through the website artsteps.com this refuge and museum was created.