michael.depledge@pms.ac.uk

European Centre for Environment European Centre for Environment

and Human Healthand Human Health

Michael Depledge and Ben Wheeler

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Increasing Risk to Ecosystem

Ecosystems

THE PROBLEMManagement of ecosystems is limited by

not being able to measure:

• the right things

• in the right places

• at the right frequency

• over sufficient time periods

• cost-effectively

What are the constraints?

• Lack of simple tools

• Lack of qualified personnel

• Mismatch between costs & resources

• Difficult interpretation

• Management cant deliver outcomes

• Lack of ecological & social relevance

• Poor engagement of local communities

What is the cost of not monitoring effectively ?

• Failure to detect human health threats (NHS costs, public confidence, etc.)

• Failure to detect reductions in biodiversity (ecosystem decline, loss of sustainability)

• Increasing remediation / restoration costs

• Potentially irreversible damage

• Failing in our role.

Rapid Assessment of Marine Pollution (RAMP)

• Chemical AND biological techniques

• Rapid

• Easy to use

• Inexpensive

• Ecologically relevant

• Useful to environmental managers

Background Information• Vulnerable ecosystems.• Contaminant discharge (point source and diffuse)• Planned developments.

Hierarchical Approach to Risk Assessment

RAMP / RASEIChemical & biological markers, socio-economic & health markers

Detailed chemical, biological, ecological, socio-economic and health studies of specific locations

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PERC

PERC

RAMP Training workshops

• Brasil• Costa Rica• Vietnam• South Africa

Infrared Phototransducer

Sensor

IR Detector

IR Emitter

Sensor

Securing Ring

Heart Systole

Carapace

Heart Diastole

Connection to the Computer

Computer-aided physiological monitoring using infra-red sensors

Overview of Computer Aided Physiological Monitoring System

Transmitter

Receiver

Amplifier/Filter

Reset/LatchHeart

IBM XT / AT Compatible Computer with I/O Interface (8855 Chip)

Multi-Plexer

Select

Counter

Latch

DataBus

..... ..... .....X8

Changes in heart rate in the rock crab Hemigrapsus, along the Otago Harbour pollution gradient

MappinessGeorge Mackerron

Personal UV - sensor

Pedometers

GPS location log

Ordnance Survey Data are © Crown Copyright/database right 2011. An Ordnance Survey/EDINA supplied service

Health and Wellbeing Health and Wellbeing from the Environmentfrom the Environment

Rockpool ramblesRockpool rambles SailinSailing

Coastal walksCoastal walks

SwimmingSwimming

Kayaking

SurfingSurfing DivingDiving

Bluegym.org.ukBluegym.org.ukBlue Gym = Campaign + Research Blue Gym = Campaign + Research

Rigorous scientific studies

(RCT, intervention & mechanistic studies)

GPS

• Record of location history

• Track individual movements over time

• Precise - ~3m

• High temporal resolution (1+ observations per second)

• Becoming ubiquitous…

GPS receivers/dataloggers

In combination…

• Log location plus other data with sensors/ instruments:– Physical activity– Air quality– Noise– Individual questionnaires

Accelerometerwww.geneactiv.co.uk

In combination…

• Log location plus other data with sensors/ instruments:– Physical activity– Air quality– Noise– Individual questionnaires

Personal air samplerwww.munroinstruments.co.uk

In combination…

• Log location plus other data with sensors/ instruments:– Physical activity– Air quality– Noise– Individual questionnaires

Personal noise exposure dataloggerwww.casellameasurement.com

In combination…

• Log location plus other data with sensors/ instruments:– Physical activity– Air quality– Noise– Individual questionnaires

Mappiness questionnairewww.mappiness.org

Ordnance Survey Data are © Crown Copyright/database right 2011. An Ordnance Survey/EDINA supplied service

Physical activity in greenspace

http://bristol.ac.uk/enhs/peach

Air quality example: MESSAGE

• Using GPS-enabled air pollution sensors• Creating high resolution maps of air quality• Sensors on cars, bikes, people…

NO Maphttp://www.escience.cam.ac.uk/~mcal00/MESSAGE/try2c.mov

http://bioinf.ncl.ac.uk/message/

(Newcastle, Imperial, Cambridge, Leeds, Southampton)

Citizens as Sensors

• ‘Volunteered Geographic Information’– e.g. OpenStreetMap – “a crowdsourced

geospatial data repository”– a free, editable basemap of the world

• “Citizens as sensors: the world of volunteered geography” (Michael Goodchild, 2007, GeoJournal 69:211–221)

www.openstreetmap.org