Year: 2020
Project(s):
Relevance
Sediment elevation tables (SETs) are vital tools for measuring marsh surface change relative to local sea-level rise, but the data from SETs can be difficult to analyze and to communicate to wide audiences. A partner at the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve developed code for RStudio that allows SET data users to easily analyze and visualize their data. Stakeholders in the region requested training on how to use this code for their own datasets.
Response
The Northern Gulf of Mexico Sentinel Site Cooperative, supported by Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant, planned a virtual workshop and coordinated with the Grand Bay NERR to deliver training on utilizing RStudio to stakeholders interested in using the data from SETs. The workshop represented one of the first in the region that adapted technical training to a virtual format. Ten participants from academic, non-profit, federal and state organizations spanning the East and Gulf coasts attended.
Results
Six months after the completion of the workshop, 50% (n= 8) of respondents to a follow-up survey indicated that they have used the training to improve analysis of their datasets and felt that this training improved their ability to visualize and understand their SET data. A post-workshop survey distributed immediately following the training demonstrated that 100% of workshop participants considered the training a good use of their time and indicated that their knowledge was increased.
Recap
Participants of Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant-supported Northern Gulf of Mexico Sentinel Site Cooperative’s virtual workshop on how to use RStudio to analyze data for changes in marsh surface relative to local sea-level rise and how to visualize the change graphically to increase their ability to communicate observed changes used the training to improve their ability to analyze and visualize data. (2020)