Aqueduct Metadata Document, Aqueduct Global Maps 2.0

This document describes the specific characteristics of the indicator data and calculations for the Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas Global Maps. Complete guidelines and processes for data collection, calculations, and mapping techniques are described fully in the Aqueduct Water Risk Framework. The Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas makes use of a Water Risk Framework, that includes 12 global indicators grouped into three categories of risk and one overall score

Aqueduct Country and River Basin Rankings: A Weighted Aggregation of Spatially Distinct Hydrological Indicators

More and more countries around the world face high levels of water stress, but measuring and communicating that stress consistently is challenging. This paper ranks countries and river basins worldwide based on their exposure water-related risks. Specifically, it provides national and basin-level scores derived from more localized water-risk scores from the Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas. Rankings are available for 181 countries, the world's 100-largest river basins by area, and the planet's 100-most populous river basins for five different measures of water supply and demand

Light Coverage on Colby College Campus

Outdoor lighting is an essential component for nighttime safety on college campuses. Outdoor lighting on Colby College campus is not uniform, leaving some areas with minimal light. The purpose of this project is to analytically evaluate if and where major walkways on Colby College have inadequate lighting. While we were unable to define inadequate lighting, we found that most paths on campus do appear to be well lit, while in general open spaces on campus have the lowest light levels

Atlantic Salmon Habitat and Dams in Maine

This map details Atlantic Salmon habitat within the state of Maine in conjunction with dams, levees, and other hydrological impoundments. It highlights salmon spawning and rearing areas, and represents dams by their hydraulic height. Most Atlantic Salmon populations are anadromous, living most of their lives at sea and migrating upstream into freshwater to spawn. However, the Atlantic Salmon does not require saltwater to survive, and there are a number of landlocked populations of Atlantic Salmon in Maine due to the building of dams

The potential for AI to revolutionize conservation:a horizon scan

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is an emerging tool that could be leveraged to identify the effective conservation solutions demanded by the urgent biodiversity crisis. We present the results of our horizon scan of AI applications likely to significantly benefit biological conservation. An international panel of conservation scientists and AI experts identified 21 key ideas. These included species recognition to uncover 'dark diversity', multimodal models to improve biodiversity loss predictions, monitoring wildlife trade, and addressing human–wildlife conflict. We consider the potential negative impacts of AI adoption, such as AI colonialism and loss of essential conservation skills, and suggest how the conservation field might adapt to harness the benefits of AI while mitigating its risks

The potential for AI to revolutionize conservation: a horizon scan

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is an emerging tool that could be leveraged to identify the effective conservation solutions demanded by the urgent biodiversity crisis. We present the results of our horizon scan of AI applications likely to significantly benefit biological conservation. An international panel of conservation scientists and AI experts identified 21 key ideas. These included species recognition to uncover 'dark diversity', multimodal models to improve biodiversity loss predictions, monitoring wildlife trade, and addressing human–wildlife conflict. We consider the potential negative impacts of AI adoption, such as AI colonialism and loss of essential conservation skills, and suggest how the conservation field might adapt to harness the benefits of AI while mitigating its risks

Learning new sensorimotor contingencies:Effects of long-term use of sensory augmentation on the brain and conscious perception

Theories of embodied cognition propose that perception is shaped by sensory stimuli and by the actions of the organism. Following sensorimotor contingency theory, the mastery of lawful relations between own behavior and resulting changes in sensory signals, called sensorimotor contingencies, is constitutive of conscious perception. Sensorimotor contingency theory predicts that, after training, knowledge relating to new sensorimotor contingencies develops, leading to changes in the activation of sensorimotor systems, and concomitant changes in perception. In the present study, we spell out this hypothesis in detail and investigate whether it is possible to learn new sensorimotor contingencies by sensory augmentation. Specifically, we designed an fMRI compatible sensory augmentation device, the feelSpace belt, which gives orientation information about the direction of magnetic north via vibrotactile stimulation on the waist of participants. In a longitudinal study, participants trained with this belt for seven weeks in natural environment. Our EEG results indicate that training with the belt leads to changes in sleep architecture early in the training phase, compatible with the consolidation of procedural learning as well as increased sensorimotor processing and motor programming. The fMRI results suggest that training entails activity in sensory as well as higher motor centers and brain areas known to be involved in navigation. These neural changes are accompanied with changes in how space and the belt signal are perceived, as well as with increased trust in navigational ability. Thus, our data on physiological processes and subjective experiences are compatible with the hypothesis that new sensorimotor contingencies can be acquired using sensory augmentation