BTAA-GIN Collection Stories

Interviewer: Caroline Kayko, Map and Geospatial Data Librarian, University of Michigan Michigan Sea Grant logo This interview is part of our Researcher Interview series, spotlighting the work being done creating and using GIS data at the Big Ten Academic Alliance institutions.  Name: El Lower Title: GLANSIS Research Associate Department/Center/Unit: Michigan Sea Grant, SEAS Preferred Web Link for department directory page or center/lab page: https://www.glerl.noaa.gov/glansis/index.html Background: The Great Lakes Aquatic Nonindigenous Species Information System (GLANSIS) is a NOAA-led inter-agency database designed to be a "one-stop shop" for information about introduced aquatic species in the Great Lakes. The database hosts information on identification, ecology, distribution, risk assessments, management strategies, and more for 180+ aquatic invaders in the region, and operates in partnership with Michigan Sea Grant and University of Michigan's School for Environm...

By Caroline Kayko Featured Item or Collection: Afrique de la mappemonde Portugaise anonyme de 1502. What is the item? This item is a facsimile of a portolan map of Africa from 1502 with no known creator. The facsimile was produced in 1886 in the French publication Bulletin de geographie historique et descriptive , and is described in detail on pages 147-160 of volume 1 . Note the rhumb lines in the image below, radiating out from the compass roses at the left and right borders of the map, likely indicating sailing routes. At the time of publication, the map had just been recently discovered in London. Despite the article being in French, the map is in Portuguese.  What BTAA Library submitted the item? University of Michigan Interesting tidbits The author of the bulletin, Dr E.-T. Hamy, writes that it is rare and difficult in 1886 to find maps of early expeditions  He also describes the colors of the original map, which we cannot see on this facsimile He received this map from a friend ...

By Karen Majewicz The recorded presentations from our BTAA GIS Conference are now available on YouTube! The second annual BTAA GIS Conference, held on November 12th, 2021, provided an opportunity for students and educators in the Big Ten institutions to present their geospatial work, exchange information, and develop potential collaborations. The one-day conference included two keynote addresses, presentation sessions, lightning talks, a career panel, and a map gallery . 162 people registered for the conference, representing 47 unique institutions or affiliations. On the day of the conference, there were 96 unique attendees. A highlight of this year’s conference was the two keynote addresses. The BTAA GDP provided speaker honorariums for the first time, and the talks described significant and inspiring projects/programs: American Domesday, by Dr. Robert Lee, discussed his newest work to spatially analyze public lands in the American West. After the conference, we added geoportal recor...