Agile Frameworks: How Appropriate Problem Definition Can Streamline Software Development; Understanding How Competitive Culture in Conservation Limits Progress: How a Multi-level Framework Analysis Reveals Deep Cultural Problems between Private and Public Conservation

Conservation efforts with regard to invasive species removal are endeavors that must be
done effectively and efficiently. Researchers and scientists are often running a race against time
to protect ecosystems and the native species they hold. The effort to remove the Burmese Python
in the Florida Everglades has been a long and arduous process. As a result, native species in the
Everglades have seen drastic declines in population. My STS research focused on why python
removal efforts have been ineffective and slow so far. I hypothesized that current removal
techniques may be outdated and small-scale, so the technical side of my research focused on
employing machine learning techniques to aggregate python location data to find hotspots of
python travel and activity. While there was some evidence that removal techniques were
outdated, a far larger problem I discovered using Geels’ multi-level analysis was a competitive
culture between private and public entities involved in invasive species removal. A lack of
resources with regards to funding and competition for notoriety has contributed to a slowing
down of progress with regard to removing pythons in the Everglades.

School of Engineering and Applied Science

Bachelor of Science in Computer Science

Technical Advisor: Rosanne Vrugtman

STS Advisor: Kathryn Neeley