292 - From Bites to Bytes: The opportunities, successes, and challenges of mosquito Big Data

Abstract: Data-driven decision making is standard procedure in mosquito control; for example, underpinning the legal basis for pesticide application. Large and long-term data collection projects thus exist, some going back decades, resulting in rich (albeit it siloed and varying) datasets. We are now in an age of data-hungry machine learning, artificial intelligence, and modeling which are being utilized in the government, research, and industrial spheres.





Existing open repositories of mosquito occurrence data such as the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) have allowed for species range distribution models and predictions of increased ranges of invasive mosquito species. Seasonality/abundance data collated in VectorBase has allowed for model validation at continental scales as well as local-level analyses. Specific examples of how these data were reused for novel insights will be presented. Examples of current, planned, and theoretical projects and applications (opportunities) will be given, including identified data gaps with those projects (challenges.)





Even with the great promise (hype?) of big-data, risks and justifiable concerns (both practical and philosophic) exist. Concerns raised, in particular of data-generators, will be highlighted, with some mitigating strategies discussed.