Friday, June 12 12:30 PM - 2:00 PM
Off-Campus Event - — 101 Howard St
We are excited to welcome Dr Cody Carroll to the USF Data Science Speaker Series for a special summer talk.
Dr. Cody Carroll is an Assistant Professor with joint appointments in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics and the Master of Science in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence program at the University of San Francisco. His research focuses on functional and longitudinal data analysis, particularly in the context of human growth and aging, as well as interdisciplinary applications of statistics and data science.
Talk Abstract
Citizen science platforms like iNaturalist and eBird engage distinct communities in biodiversity monitoring, generating large biodiversity datasets. Differences in observer profiles, sampling intensity, and reporting behavior across platforms can lead to platform-specific biases which may challenge the consistency and validity of citizen-generated data (CGD) and hinder its integration across platforms for scientific and policy applications. To address this, we propose a statistical validation framework that assesses the compatibility and mergeability of temporal biodiversity distributions across platforms. Specifically, we develop a novel method using circular optimal transport to test the statistical equivalence of seasonal observation patterns within species. Applying this framework to over 250 bird species in Northern California and Nevada across two sample years (2019 and 2022), we find that the large majority (>97%) of species exhibit statistically mergeable seasonality patterns between eBird and iNaturalist, with post-hoc expert validation supporting our results. Our method provides a quantitative basis for integrating CGD sources and flagging inconsistencies that may require further expert investigation or explanation. Our findings demonstrate the potential for citizen science platforms of all sizes to contribute to broadscale analyses and support global and local integration efforts, such as remote sensing validation and biodiversity trend monitoring.
We hope you can join us.
#DataScience #Statistics #Biodiversity #CitizenScience #EnvironmentalData #USFCA #USFMSDSAI #DataInstitute #DataScienceSpeakerSeries #MachineLearning