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 P

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 I hypothesized that current removal techniques may be outdated and small-scale, so the technical side of my research focused on employing machine learning techniques to aggregate python location data to find hotspots of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 While there was some evidence that removal techniques were outdated, a far larger problem I discovered using Geels’ multi-level analysis was a competitive culture between private and public entities involved in invasive species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.