{"id":87708,"date":"2025-11-19T16:34:41","date_gmt":"2025-11-19T21:34:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cas\/?post_type=r_cas_magazine&p=87708"},"modified":"2025-11-20T17:53:52","modified_gmt":"2025-11-20T22:53:52","slug":"the-power-of-place","status":"publish","type":"r_cas_magazine","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cas\/arts-sciences\/article\/the-power-of-place\/","title":{"rendered":"The Power of Place"},"content":{"rendered":"
By Michael S. Goldberg<\/h6>\n

When <\/span>Suchi Gopal<\/span><\/a> heads to Belize, it\u2019s not for the beaches by the azure Caribbean waters. She goes to document and map the mangrove forests. And Gopal, a Department of Earth & Environment professor, uses drones.<\/p>\n

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Suchi Gopal<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One of Gopal\u2019s study spots is the resort area of Placencia, home to a diverse array of aquatic, amphibian, and avian wildlife, along with seaside swatches of the salt-tolerant mangroves, which provide a natural protective barrier and<\/em> act as carbon-emission sponges. One hectare of mangroves can hold more than 440 metric tons of carbon, the Smithsonian\u2019s <\/span>Belize Blue Carbon project<\/span><\/a> notes. Gopal\u2019s research is part of a $20 million, seven-year National Science Foundation <\/span>grant<\/span><\/a> to engage local communities in finding ways to reduce climate risks with equitable, nature-based approaches.<\/p>\n

To Gopal, who specializes in geospatial and geographic information systems (GIS), using images from satellites and drones along with other data to chart the location and condition of Belize\u2019s mangroves exemplifies her field\u2019s practical value. She\u2019s working with other scientists on projects that can help communities in Belize and Indonesia to preserve native plant ecosystems threatened by expanding tourism infrastructure, urbanization, and coastal development.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis grant brings together ecologists, civil engineers, social scientists, and data scientists\u2014including spatial data scientists like me\u2014to discuss sustainability and develop nature-based solutions,\u201d Gopal says. \u201cAnd it\u2019s the convergence of all these sciences that leads, ultimately, to better solutions.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Multispectral images help researchers differentiate materials and even distinguish healthy from distressed vegetation. Photo courtesy of Muhammad Helmi.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Incorporating the \u201cWhere?\u201d angle, across campus and beyond<\/h3>\n
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Suchi Gopal and Vic Faux of Fragments of Hope, a nonprofit focused on coral reef restoration, led a drone workshop in Belize in April 2025. Photo courtesy of Suchi Gopal.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Gopal, who joined the BU faculty in 1989, has made a career of building interdisciplinary connections<\/span><\/a>. She maintains research affiliations with the <\/span>BU Marine Program<\/span><\/a>, the <\/span>Pardee School of Global Studies<\/span><\/a>, the <\/span>Initiative on Cities<\/span><\/a>, the <\/span>Institute for Global Sustainability<\/span><\/a>, the <\/span>Rafik B. Hariri Institute for Computing and Computational Science & Engineering<\/span><\/a>, and the <\/span>Center for Remote Sensing<\/span><\/a>. Gopal argues that her transcampus engagement is a natural outgrowth of her field of study. The science of location injects itself into every field. The power of place is everywhere.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She sees this idea come alive in the students who take her introduction to GIS undergraduate and graduate courses. \u201cThose classes attract people from all walks of life, including the business school, public health, social work. They learn to think spatially,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Gopal says she wants students to understand the ramifications of GIS science and shares examples from her own work:<\/p>\n