Last year, NCEI was proud to celebrate a decade of collaboration with the [NASA DEVELOP](https://appliedsciences.nasa.gov/what-we-do/capacity-building/develop) program. NCEI looks forward to continuing the partnership this year, by offering eight early career scientists the unique opportunity to work with the combined data and resources of both organizations. Both NCEI and NASA DEVELOP are proud to partner with NIDIS (National Integrated Drought Information System) since 2018 for assistance and guidance in drought-related projects.
NASA DEVELOP welcomed eight young scientists this spring, who worked with NCEI-based scientists and data on two different projects based in North Carolina and Puerto Rico. Since the program’s inception in 2014, each team has contributed to efforts such as monitoring wildfire risk in Vermont, and contributing locally in Asheville, North Carolina through efforts like establishing weather resilience.
Currently, four individuals are working in-person at the NCEI office in Asheville on a 10-week NASA DEVELOP project titled “Upper Missouri River Basin Water Resources: Enhancing Flood and Drought Monitoring through Fractional Available Water Analysis in the Upper Missouri River Basin.” Additionally, four remote individuals are participating in the 10-week NASA DEVELOP project titled “Puerto Rico Ecological Conservation: Mapping Land Cover to Inform Endangered Frog and Bird Species Distribution and Conservation Planning in Puerto Rico.”
NCEI is proud to support NASA DEVELOP’s mission of “Cultivating Tomorrow’s Earth Observation Users” and we look forward to continuing to work alongside each other to provide aspiring scientists the chance to engage with real-world data and materials.
### Spring 2025 Project Collaborations
#### Upper Missouri River Basin Water Resources: Enhancing Flood and Drought Monitoring through Fractional Available Water Analysis in the Upper Missouri River Basin
The Upper Missouri River Basin (UMRB) experiences rapid shifts between wet and dry conditions, with projections indicating increased drought and flooding events.. In partnership with NOAA National Weather Service (NWS) Bismark, Grand Forks, and Rapid City, this project aims to evaluate NASA’s SMAP satellite data to estimate fractional available water (FAW) in the UMRB, and compare SMAP-derived FAW with in-situ North Dakota Agricultural Weather Network (NDAWN) Mesonet data. The team is also analyzing the relationship between FAW, streamflow, drought, and vegetation health in the region. Results from this project will assist partners in flood forecasting, drought monitoring, and support for emergency preparedness, agricultural resilience, and the further development of state hydrological models.
#### Puerto Rico Ecological Conservation: Mapping Land Cover to Inform Endangered Frog and Bird Species Distribution and Conservation Planning in Puerto Rico
Changes in temperature and land use are reshaping avian and amphibian ecosystems and biodiversity patterns in Puerto Rico. The project work is in collaboration with non-profits WildMon and Para Naturaleza, the USFWS Caribbean Ecological Services Field Office, and the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources. The team aims to evaluate the feasibility of incorporating NASA Landsat Earth observations and ancillary datasets to monitor land cover as it relates to biodiversity. The methods will highlight critical areas for frog and bird populations, guiding decisions on land acquisition and management, and species conservation.