Open data resources to the rescue: Addressing the invasive lionfish problem during a global pandemic

Carolyn Swize, Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA and Cassandra Glaspie, Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA

The impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic has been seen far and wide. For graduate students, the impact of halting research experiments and data collection can lead to delays in graduation, loss of motivation, and additional expenses. After a virus-related derailment of laboratory and field plans, we used open data resources to examine the impact of global climate change on invasive lionfish habitat suitability. Open data resources provide the opportunity to resume completion of a graduate degree and to learn new, transferable skills in an increasingly digital world.