Mira Kelly-Fair

Mira Kelly-Fair is a Summer in the Field Fellow, 2023 and a doctoral candidate in the Earth and Environment program at Boston University.

For her Summer in the Field Fellowship, Mira will travel to Belize to study potential indicators of the presence of the three species of mangroves in Belize in order to map them using remote sensing imagery. Remote sensing imagery is the process of mapping the physical characteristics of an area using an aircraft or satellite to measure the emitted radiation. Since each mangrove species offers unique ecosystem benefits and the individual species cannot be distinguished using just imagery, Mira will also visit the site. Mangrove forests protect Belizean coastline and can help mitigate the effects of sea level rise and storm surge. Although mangrove forests can be mapped via remote sensing, it is challenging to differentiate between mangrove species from this imagery. After mapping their locations, Mira will calculate mangroves’ ecosystem services and their benefits. She hopes her research will provide a unique examination of sustainability issues to help mitigate climate threats and improve coastal resilience.