Mapping Innovation: Distance Learning Support

11/3/21, 2:29 PM Activity 4.2.
1 Mapping Innovation
PLTW BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE
Activity 4.2.1
Mapping Innovation
Distance Learning Support

Check with your teacher about:
Materials or resources you need for this activity
What work you need to turn in and how to submit it
Strategies for collaboration
GOALS
Investigate how maps and information gained using mapping and analytics
programs such as ArcGIS contribute to scientific discovery.
Create and evaluate map data to identify the ideal location for sample
collection.
Describe how innovation can help solve a problem in biomedical science.
MATERIALS
ArcGIS Online account
https://pltw.read.inkling.com/a/b/ce82cc7c43544b399db84bd4cc6cd498/p/844292cfb6474420b2cfc3e668a06eee 1/26
11/3/21, 2:29 PM Activity 4.2.1 Mapping Innovation
RESOURCES
Create a Map Using ArcGIS
Optional Extension: Plastic Pollution
The Science of Where

Recall the Public Health Emergency App you created in Problem 3.3.2. Was location an
important feature of your design? In the event of an emergency, first responders need
real-time detailed location information to know exactly where the emergency is
occurring. Location information is also critical during a pandemic outbreak. Dynamic
mapping software tracks the spread of the disease, providing crucial information to
health officials working to slow the extent of the outbreak. Maps help scientists in other
ways too. Let’s take a deep dive with the Drug Discovery Lab at PLTW Innovation, Inc.!
Your next experience will be to work

alongside a Marine Biotechnologist in the
Drug Discovery Lab. Marine
biotechnologists test and evaluate ocean
life in the hope of developing beneficial
products and therapeutics , or
treatments. The mission of this lab is to
develop a new anticancer drug from
deep-sea sponges. Your first goal in
working with this lab is to learn how a Figure 1. Purple Tube Sponge
Source: Ken Kessenich, MSDT, Cozumel 2019
dynamic mapping software will aid you in
sourcing these sponges. Your discoveries
may well lessen the severity of—or even prevent—disease.
Geographic Information Systems
The application of GIS is limited only to the imagination of those

who use it.
Jack Dangermond, founder of Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI).
Terminology
A geographic information system, or GIS, is a tool that helps
people communicate and analyze information and ideas. GIS uses
the science of geography to organize layers of information into a
visual representation (map). GIS allows you to collect, organize, and share
information with many people. In addition to location, or spatial information,
GIS can store many different attributes , or nonspatial information, of
map features . These features can be natural (such as plant types, climate,
bodies of water, mountains) or artificial (such as cities, towns, buildings,
hospitals, and public facilities). Explore the difference between spatial
information and associated attribute information for a hospital.
The health care industry is using the power of GIS in innovative ways. Using GIS, Public
health departments are tracking child immunizations, conducting health policy
research, and establishing service areas and districts. Medical providers use GIS data
about where people live as they decide where to open new offices to be near their
patients. Because GIS integrates multiple data sources—and makes complex data
more easily understood—the role of GIS is expanding in the data-intensive health care
industry.
ETHICAL SCENARIO
Managing health record location data using GIS provides public health agencies
with essential information. For example, GIS can be used to track disease spread
by tracking the movement of those infected with disease-causing agents.
However, mapping the locations of individuals who are sick can infringe upon
their privacy.
How should public health agencies balance individual privacy with data
accessibility? Reflect on what you have learned about HIPAA to help inform your
response.
Examine a Map
Before you can even begin to develop a novel therapeutic to fight cancer, you need to
find the sponges! This will involve you developing a map of the world and plotting the
location of these sea creatures. Your goal is to identify deep-sea regions where there
are many different species of sponges, where biodiversity is great. If you can source
a wide variety of sponges in one dive, you’ll have many different kinds to test and will
spend less time under the sea.
Spongy Treasures: Marine sponges Figure 2. Yellow Tube Sponge

are therapeutic treasure troves! Source: Ken Kessenich, MSDT, Cozumel 2019
Some of the byproducts of their metabolism , the process of breaking

down molecules for energy, have antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, and
anticancer activity. The way in which these byproducts work is not fully
understood, but it is clear that sponges can produce therapeutic
substances and are excellent targets for research. Different sponges
produce different medicinal substances, so evaluating a variety of species
is important.
A layer within a GIS map can be thought of as a slice of a particular piece of geography
for a location of interest. For example, roads, national park boundaries, cities, state
boundaries, and rivers might be considered different layers on a road map. Two main
types of layers—a basemap layer and one or more operational layer(s)—comprise GIS
maps. Layers can contain both spatial and attribute information of different features.
1 Explore the base layer (b) and operational layers (o) of the map in Figure 2 to
learn about these two layer types.
o
Figure 3. Layers of a GIS Map
Using a GIS map, you can examine the locations of different species and search for
patterns, relationships, and systems within the data by viewing layers of a map.
You can select among different basemaps to emphasize different views of our world.
For example, a street basemap emphasizes transportation-related features. A basemap
with a neutral background draws attention to the content you add through
organizational layers.
QUESTION #
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Deep Sea Coral
Research and Technology Program (DSCRPT) developed a National Database for
Deep-Sea Corals and Sponges. The purpose of the database is to compile location
information and share biological observations about deep-sea corals and sponges.
Deep-sea corals and

sponges are usually found
together. They live in cold,
dark water in all of the
world’s oceans. They are
important contributors to
deep water habitats,
providing shelter for fishes
and invertebrates. Also
protected within deep-sea
coral clusters are an
unknown number of
species new to science that
could be useful in ways we don’t yet understand. However, deep-sea corals and
sponges are slow-growing and vulnerable to damage from human fishing gear and oil
and gas exploration.
Let’s examine a map of deep-sea corals and sponges in greater detail. In the following
steps, we’ll focus on sponges.
The map below is made up of six layers:
Layer Description
Basemap Oceans
Operational Layer 1 Locations of Deep-Sea Corals and Sponges
Operational Layer 2 Seafloor Dissolved Oxygen (mL/L)

Oxygen available to maintain healthy ecosystems
Operational Layer 3 Seafloor Salinity (practical salinity scale or pss)

Quantity of dissolved salt in water
Operational Layer 4 Major Ocean Currents

Directional flow of ocean water across the globe
Operational Layer 5 Marine Debris
Human-created waste that collects in ocean currents; also known as marine
litter
2 Explore the map and orient yourself to the different tools and operational
layers.
Helpful Tip: Inside of this viewer, you can zoom, pan, and select
individual points to open a pop-up box containing information
about that location. To view a map tool’s function, hover over its
icon.
If you get lost in the map while zooming in and out, select the
Home icon. This will bring you back to the default map view.
To view available map layers, select the Layer List tool.
To collapse an open panel, select the double arrows.
If directed by your teacher, open Deep-Sea Corals and Sponges
Map in a new browser window.
Open Deep-Sea Corals and Sponges Map in a new tab.
3 Pan and zoom within the map area until you have highlighted a small region
along the Pacific coast of the United States.
a. Use the snapshot feature to record the region of study.
How do I do that?
b. Use the legend to identify the common name of deep-sea sponges in the
region you selected.
Note: For additional information on each species, select an icon to

open a pop-up box.
PLTW LABORATORY NOTEBOOK

Explore the biodiversity in the region. What are the main species of
sponges in the region?
c. Click the Layer tool at the bottom-right corner of the map.
Note: To toggle the visibility of each layer, select the eye icon to the
left of the “Seafloor Salinity (pss)” and “Seafloor Dissolved Oxygen
(ml/l)” layers.

Describe the level of dissolved oxygen and the average seafloor
salinity level in your region of study.
On the Seafloor
Share your region’s data with a small team. How do dissolved

oxygen and salinity levels impact the biodiversity of deep-sea
sponges and corals?
Hint
4 If directed to do so by your teacher, complete this extension activity.
Optional Extension: Plastic Pollution
Scientists apply GIS as a tool to problem-solve and understand relationships within

systems that require consideration of location. Using GIS, scientists can overlay
seemingly unrelated spatial and attribute information to discover connections and
uncover new possibilities.
Sponge Hunters
Cancer is an all-too-common disease that can be difficult to treat. The team at the Drug
Discovery Lab at PLTW Innovation, Inc. searches the Earth for potential sources of new
and more effective drugs. The deep-sea sponge organism is a promising potential
solution, and your research may uncover a new therapeutic, or treatment, for cancer.
ArcGIS Online—a cloud-based geographic information system—will guide you in
collecting a sample of deep-sea sponges.
Reflection Question: Conduct some research on where on the globe

deep sea sponges can be found. Are there certain water temperatures or
salinity levels they prefer? Do they avoid certain areas, such as turbulent
waters? Record three to five sponge preferences that will help you in your
search for marine sponges.
You can use ArcGIS Online to create maps that include multiscale basemaps,
operational layers targeted to an audience, and useful information boxes. To add data
to a map, the map must be tied to a location on Earth.
Terminology
GIS mapping technology
lets you layer data tied
to geographic locations
using addresses or longitude and
latitude coordinates. Much like a
coordinate system in mathematics uses
x- and y-coordinates to locate a point
Figure 4. Longitude and Latitude
on a grid system, points on Earth are
referenced as coordinates based on
their longitude and latitude values. If you know a location in terms of its
longitude and latitude, you can find it anywhere on the earth.
A street address is one method used to describe a location. Searching an address

within GIS compares the information to a database containing address attributes. By
typing “Hawaii, USA” into the search bar, you provided the database with the attributes
state and country. For a more accurate location, include additional attributes into the
address, such as street number, street name, city, and zip code. Longitude and latitude
also reference the location of the Hawaiian Islands as shown in Figure 5.
GIS uses decimal degree values of longitude and latitude. The more decimal places
you know, the more accurate the location. The values for the longitude and latitude of
“Hawaii USA” are precise to six decimal places for an accuracy within 0.111 meter of the
actual location!
To determine the best location to source your deep-sea sponge sample, you will
create a map using ArcGIS Online and data gathered from the NOAA DSCRPT
database for deep-sea corals and sponges.
Figure 5. Longitude, Latitude of Hawaii, USA
Create a Map Using ArcGIS Online: As you build your map, use the
ArcGIS resource for additional assistance.
5 Sign in to your ArcGIS Online account.
Note: Use the account sign-in credentials your teacher provided.

Record your ArcGIS Online account sign-in credentials.
6 Select the Map tab to open a new map. The Map Viewer opens to a new map.
7 Click the Basemap tool on the left map tools panel. To change the basemap,
select the Oceans basemap from the gallery.
8 To initially save a map or save changes to a map you own, click Save .
Helpful Tip: Make sure you save your ArcGIS work, and save
often! Save before you navigate away from the ArcGIS interface
(and don’t click the browser's back arrow before you save). Save
before you refresh your screen. Save before you allow your
computer to go to sleep. Save, save, save. Otherwise, you may
lose your work.
9 Type a descriptive title.
Naming Maps: Map titles must be a unique name in your organization

(school). Your account is part of a school organization. For example, you
might need to include your initials at the end of a map title if others
have used the same title.
10 Type tags that describe your map.
Tagging: Tags are words or short phrases that describe your map.
Separate terms with commas. For example, you may choose to type
“deep-sea sponges, marine biotechnology” as two tags to describe
your map.
11 Provide a summary that describes the map.
12 Choose a folder to save your map in and click Save Map.
You have created a map, but the map is not very useful without additional information.
To increase the usefulness of your map, you will add operational layers.
Add a Data Layer
To locate sources of deep-sea sponges, let’s add a feature layer, an operational layer
that someone has created specifically for a purpose, to the map. You will use this data
to determine where you can collect a wide variety of sponges. You’ll bring this
collection back to the lab where you will evaluate the anticancer properties of their
bioactive compounds .
13 In Map Viewer, click the Layers tool on the left map tools panel.
a. Click Add layer.
b. From the drop-down menu, select ArcGIS Online.
c. In the Search box, type “PLTW Biomed Sponge Hunters” and then press
the enter key.
d. To add to the map, click the Add icon at the bottom-right corner of the
layer pane.
Note: You should now see the locations of sponges plotted on your
map. The different species are represented by different colored
shapes.
14 Save your map.
Each layer in a hosted feature layer contains an attribute table that stores the data for
the layer. Fields within the layer organize the data similar to column headings in a
spreadsheet. The added feature layer contains the following 12 fields excerpted from
the DCSRPT database; these are used to describe the sponges.
Field Name Field Description Valid Values
CatalogNumber Unique record identifier assigned by the DSCRPT. [value]
ScientificName Sponge genus and species.
Taxonomic identification of the sample as a Latin Show

binomial (e.g., Primnoa pacifica) or lowest practical
level (e.g., Primnoidae).
VernacularNameCategory Common (vernacular) name category of the

organism.
Sho
Ocean Ocean basin where the observation or sample was

collected.
Sho
latitude Latitude in decimal degrees where the sample or [value]

observation was collected. Precision should ideally
be to five decimal places.
longitude Longitude in decimal degrees where the sample or [value]

observation was collected. Precision should ideally
be to five decimal places.
DepthInMeters Best single depth value for sample as a positive

value in meters.
Sho
ObservationDate Date as YYYY-MM-DD, if known. Otherwise, YYYY- [value]

MM or YYYY converted to Universal Time code
(UTC).
Density Number of individuals (or colonies) per square meter

for an observation.
Sho
LocationAccuracy An expression in meters of the estimated overall

uncertainty of the coordinate data.
Sho
Salinity Salinity in practical salinity unit (psu) using best

value or average value. Practical salinity unit is a
measure of salt concentration in ocean water.
Sho
Oxygen Dissolved oxygen in mg/L or ml/l using best value or

averaged value.
Sho
You probably noticed that many different types of sponges are popping up on your
maps. The following values of sponge classes are stored within the
“VernacularNameCategory” field.
Demosponge
A large, diverse group of structure-forming sponges with many species that
reach large sizes.
Glass sponge
A primary structure-forming deep-water taxon capable of forming large
reefs.
Calcareous sponge
A group characterized by spicules made out of calcium carbonite. While a
few species occur in deep water, they are mostly found in shallow water.
Homoscleroform A small group of sponges that grow very large in deep water.
sponge
Sponge (unspecified) Unable to determine the observed sponge class.
To differentiate the different types of sponges, change the layer’s Styles settings.
15 With the layer selected, click the Styles tool in the right map tools panel.
a. Select the Field option under the “Choose attributes” heading. Choose
“VernacularNameCategory” from the available options. Click Add.
b. Select the Types (Unique Symbols) option under the “Try a drawing style”
heading. Change symbol style as desired. When finished, click Done.
c. Click the Styles tool again to close the panel.
Configure pop-up boxes to view underlying data for each feature symbol. Pop-ups let
you look at a limited number of attributes that you select, all the time.
16 With the layer selected, click the Configure pop-ups tool in the right map tools
panel.
a. Ensure the Enable pop-ups setting is on.
b. To edit the title of the pop-up to include the scientific and vernacular
names of the organism, type the following expression for the title:
{Scientific Name} {VernacularNameCategory}
c. Select attributes to include in your pop-up. For example, you may wish to
deselect the “CatalogNumber,” “ScientificName,” and
“VernacularNameCategory” fields from showing in the main body of the
pop-up box.
d. Save your map.
17 Select several deep-sea sponge symbols to check your pop-up configuration.

Make any desired changes.
18 To assist with your deep-sea sponge sampling decision, search, add, and
configure additional map layers. From the drop-down menu, select ArcGIS
Online.
Additional Information: You can search for additional “deep-sea

sponge” layers to add to the map, or you can add “deep-sea
fisheries” layers to the map. Or you could search for “hawksbill
sea turtles”, one of the few animals that consume sponges, and
add their locations to the map. Be sure to read about the content
of each layer before you add one to your map. Choose layers
from reputable sources.
Hawksbill Turtle Hunting Sponges video

Source: Ken Kessenich, MSDT, Cozumel 2019
19 To view the meaning of the symbols on the map, click the Legend tool.
20 You guessed it—save your map!
Now that you have your map, you’ll use it to pick the best sponges for your work in the
lab.
Select a Sample
To meet the requirements of your experimental protocol, your sponge sample must
satisfy certain criteria.
Deep-sea Sponge Sampling Criteria
A sampled sponge must be from one of the four specified classes of

sponges. You must have at least two different classes of sponges.
The sponge location must have a depth of at least 100 meters.
The level of dissolved oxygen must be greater than 0.1 ml/L.
The ocean salinity must be less than 35.5 (practical salinity units or psu).
Sampled classes must be within 250 miles of each other.
To avoid tediously clicking every feature to examine attributes, you can apply a filter
to a map. A filter hides certain features on your map, allowing you to search and
identify patterns in your map’s data through a focused view of your map’s feature layer.
To highlight sponge locations that meet your criteria, let’s filter the deep-sea sponge
layer database to show only sponges that have been classified into one of the four
specified classes.
21 Use the Layers tool to select the PLTW Biomed Sponge Hunters layer.
22 In the right map tools panel, click the Filter tool.

a. To define a new filter expression, click Add expression.
b. To filter the dataset to show only sponges that are classified into one of
the four classes, enter the expression “VernacularNameCategory excludes
sponge (unspecified)” to create a filter.
Creating Filter Expressions: In general, filter expressions

contain three parts: a field (VernacularNameCategory), an
operator (excludes), and a selected value (sponge
(unspecified)) or values of the field.
A field in a filter
expression references a
table column where
values for a single
attribute are stored.
The operator in a
definition expression
defines the process or Figure 6. Filter Expression
operation performed on
the field to return a desired value or values.
c. Save your filter when done.
Note: Symbols for the filtered values are removed from view.
23 Create additional expressions to meet the next three Deep-sea Sponge

Sampling Criteria.
Check your work
24 Save your filters. Then save your map.
Note: Your filters should be set to Match all conditions.
25 Use the filtered data to select a sample. Use the Measurement tool to verify
the last criterion.
How do I measure?

Record the species name and location information for each sponge
class sample you are harvesting.
Print a screenshot of the pop-up boxes for each sample to verify
each criterion has been met.
Write one to two paragraphs to justify your sample selection.
26 You’ve done all of the work to locate the samples. Now let’s go get those
sponges. Watch some of the video footage from your dive!
0:00 0:3
PLTW Innovation, Inc. Drug Discovery Lab Sponge Dive video
Now that you have identified and collected your deep-sea sponge sample, the next
step is to get your sponges safely back to the laboratory at PLTW Innovation, Inc. for
testing. Your work could provide valuable therapies for treating cancer patients!
CONCLUSION
1 What are some additional reasons that you might wish to use filters on map
data? Use examples to support your reasoning.
2 How can technology such as GIS advance the field of biomedical sciences?
Proceed to next activity

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11/3/21, 2:29 PM Activity 4.2.

PLTW BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE

Distance Learning Support

ArcGIS Online account

Create a Map Using ArcGIS

Optional Extension: Plastic Pollution

The Science of Where

Your next experience will be to work

Geographic Information Systems

The application of GIS is limited only to the imagination of those

Jack Dangermond, founder of Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI).

Spongy Treasures: Marine sponges Figure 2. Yellow Tube Sponge

Some of the byproducts of their metabolism , the process of breaking

Deep-sea corals and

The map below is made up of six layers:

Operational Layer 1 Locations of Deep-Sea Corals and Sponges

Operational Layer 2 Seafloor Dissolved Oxygen (mL/L)

Operational Layer 3 Seafloor Salinity (practical salinity scale or pss)

Operational Layer 4 Major Ocean Currents

Open Deep-Sea Corals and Sponges Map in a new tab.

Note: For additional information on each species, select an icon to

PLTW LABORATORY NOTEBOOK

c. Click the Layer tool at the bottom-right corner of the map.

PLTW LABORATORY NOTEBOOK

Share your region’s data with a small team. How do dissolved

4 If directed to do so by your teacher, complete this extension activity.

Optional Extension: Plastic Pollution

Scientists apply GIS as a tool to problem-solve and understand relationships within

Reflection Question: Conduct some research on where on the globe

Create a Map Using ArcGIS

A street address is one method used to describe a location. Searching an address

Figure 5. Longitude, Latitude of Hawaii, USA

Create a Map Using ArcGIS

5 Sign in to your ArcGIS Online account.

Note: Use the account sign-in credentials your teacher provided.

PLTW LABORATORY NOTEBOOK

9 Type a descriptive title.

Naming Maps: Map titles must be a unique name in your organization

10 Type tags that describe your map.

11 Provide a summary that describes the map.

12 Choose a folder to save your map in and click Save Map.

Add a Data Layer

14 Save your map.

Field Name Field Description Valid Values

CatalogNumber Unique record identifier assigned by the DSCRPT. [value]

ScientificName Sponge genus and species.

Taxonomic identification of the sample as a Latin Show

VernacularNameCategory Common (vernacular) name category of the

Ocean Ocean basin where the observation or sample was

latitude Latitude in decimal degrees where the sample or [value]

longitude Longitude in decimal degrees where the sample or [value]

DepthInMeters Best single depth value for sample as a positive

ObservationDate Date as YYYY-MM-DD, if known. Otherwise, YYYY- [value]

Density Number of individuals (or colonies) per square meter

LocationAccuracy An expression in meters of the estimated overall

Salinity Salinity in practical salinity unit (psu) using best

Oxygen Dissolved oxygen in mg/L or ml/l using best value or

Sponge (unspecified) Unable to determine the observed sponge class.

17 Select several deep-sea sponge symbols to check your pop-up configuration.

Additional Information: You can search for additional “deep-sea

Hawksbill Turtle Hunting Sponges video

20 You guessed it—save your map!

Deep-sea Sponge Sampling Criteria