Study Objectives
This study is part of a larger three-part project that will look at the past sighting patterns of these three species, analyze possible spatial-temporal correlating factors with the presence and absence and interpolate these species' rate and spread of the pathway of advancement in the future. The ultimate goal is to answer research questions pertaining to:
- What has caused the initial establishment of these species?
- What impacts are they having on the ecology, environment and economics of regions where they are present?
- What factors (biotic, abiotic and anthropogenic) correlate and may hence be causing their establishment, growth and colonization?
- To where and at what rate will these species be growing towards?
It is hoped that a spatial model, with sufficient and appropriate data sets, can help answer these questions. This project will help assess the feasibility of using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) with ArcGIS in analyzing correlating factors to the survival and expansion of invasive tunicate species.
Hence, using GIS with tunicate data in this study can:
- Present an overall visualization of the situation
- Determine potential correlating factors with their presence
- Demonstrate how ArcGIS can be used in ecological invasive-species
research
Club tunicate - Styela clava