Fringe in the Fallout: How Puerto Rico's Mangroves are Recovering from the 2017 Hurricane Season

2024, Lewis & Clark College

Self-led GIS research assessing the status of mangroves from before and after hurricanes Irma and Maria, comparing study sites on the northern (Piñones Forest Natural Reserve) and southern (Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve) coasts. Current progress has used Google Earth Engine's JavaScript interface to quantify annual (2017-2024) changes in extent and vegetation health from satellite imagery. Future plans for my undergraduate capstone project involve validating initial findings and investigating restorative management at each site, tying together interdisciplinary insights.