Earth and Environmental Science

4:00 pm – 4:25 pm Ethan Geraci: Painted with plastic: A critical review of marine paint as a source of microplastics in nearshore environments.

Since the start of the 2020s, the study of microplastics has grown to include unconventional sources such as tire-wear particles, synthetic textile fibres, and paint particles. Paints typically contain a larger volume of additives than conventional plastics as well as significant quantities of polymeric binders (acrylic, polyurethane, and epoxy resins) that facilitate their classification as a type of plastic when cured. As such, many scientists recognize paint particles as their own form of microplastic. Compared to other forms of microplastics, paint particles are typically denser and more brittle because of their high additive content. Consequently, paint particles are more prone to fragmentation and present many size-influenced analytical challenges. Depending on the type of paint (e.g. anticorrosive paint, road-marking paint, antifouling paint) and their respective chemical additives, paint particles may act as a direct source of heavy metals and metal-based biocides in their surrounding environments. This presentation critically examines marine paint as a source of microplastics and heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Pb, Sn) in nearshore environments. Topics covered include an overview of antifouling systems, the processes that generate antifouling paint particles (APPs), APP collection and analysis techniques (and their limitations), APP toxicity, current knowledge gaps, and solutions for reducing the emission of APPs in harbours and boatyards.

4:30 pm – 4:55 pm Deanne Watts: Geospatial Artificial Intelligence: Opportunities, Challenges, and the Future of GIS

The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping many disciplines, including Geographic Information Science (GIS). Its integration into geospatial workflows, tools and software, referred to as Geospatial Artificial Intelligence (GeoAI), has led to a rapid increase in research and practical applications. This seminar is a critical evaluation of the current state of GeoAI and explores the factors responsible for its rapid growth and significance.

This seminar will review recent literature focusing on GeoAI applications across GIS, from remote sensing, cartography, and urban planning to earth system sciences. A focus will be placed on the limitations of GeoAI, including challenges related to data requirements, model transferability across geographic contexts, replicability, and associated computational demands, all of which deeply influence analytical outcomes and their interpretation. Particular attention will be given to the broader implications of GeoAI for the GIS profession, including ongoing concerns about automation and the potential displacement or replacement of human analysts.

GeoAI represents an important evolution in geospatial practice, and current literature suggests that it is more likely to augment geospatial analytical workflows than replace GIS professionals. A likely outcome of its integration with geospatial science will be more efficient processing of large datasets and the facilitation of opportunities for creativity, critical thinking, and wider access to geospatial tools and insights. However, achieving these outcomes necessitates focused research to address existing limitations.