This publication is a product resulting from NYSG project R/CHD-14 funded under award NA18OAR4170096 from the National Sea Grant College Program of the U.S. Department of Commerce&#8217;s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to the Research Foundation for State University of New York on behalf of New York Sea Grant. The statements, findings, conclusions, views and recommendations are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of any of those organizations.

All methods used were approved by the Hofstra University Institutional Research Board (IRB). The VR video game developed was used to survey 64 individuals.
NOTE: Scripts were written in the C# language, and are available for download at: https://github.com/Jasebern/HofstraVR.
1. Creation of VR rip current video game: Virtual environment and user input/output
<ol>
	<li>Open VR development platform (e.g., Unity18). This procedure was completed in Unity 2018.3.1f1.
	<ol>
		<li>Start a new 3D project entitled &#8216;Rip Current.&#8217; A 3D project contains one or multiple scenes comprising of &#8216;game objects&#8217; that can appear as solid objects19. Scripts can be added to game objects allowing for interactivity and real time changes to the environment. This project will contain four scenes and numerous game objects.</li>
		<li>Open the Unity Asset Store tab. This contains &#8216;prefabs&#8217;-- already-created collections of 2D and 3D game objects and audio files -- developed by other users that can be added to the project20.</li>
		<li>Import the &#8216;Oculus Integration&#8217; asset from the Unity Asset Store that provides foundational assets for VR development.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Create the first new scene: Main Menu (Figure 1).
	<ol>
		<li>Use Assets | Create | Terrain Layer and then add appropriate coloring to create a hilly green terrain asset as an appealing background for the main menu scene.</li>
		<li>Use GameObject | UI | Canvas to add a new canvas, entitled Main Menu, with a text box for the title VR Simulation. A canvas is a game object that stores text and buttons allowing user interaction and specified events in the simulation based on that input4.</li>
		<li>Attach scripts, written in the C# language, to a game object. Add the script by selecting the desired target game object in the scene hierarchy. Then, in the Inspector tab, select Add Component | New script, and enter the desired script title.</li>
		<li>Follow the above procedure to add the script entitled MainMenu to the Main Menu canvas. 
		NOTE: Please see Table 1 for title and function of all scripts used.</li>
		<li>Use GameObject | UI | Button to add four text buttons to the canvas: Start, Options, About, and Quit. Call appropriate function from MainMenu and MouseHover scripts when a button is selected.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Create the second new scene: Buoy Test (Figure 2).
	<ol>
		<li>Download the Realistic Water asset from the Unity Asset Store and add the Sea prefab to the scene.
		<ol>
			<li>Add an audio file of ocean waves to the Sea prefab on loop. Add from the Inspector tab by selecting Add Component | Audio Source.</li>
		</ol>
		</li>
		<li>Use the terrain layer tool as above to create a Game Object named Beach. In the Terrain options in the Inspector tab, use the Paint Terrain and Terrain Settings tool to style and color as sand.</li>
		<li>Download the Standard Assets package from the Unity Asset Store and add the Player prefab to the scene. The Player prefab includes a Camera that is embedded within the Player, thus following its movements to create the sensation that the game participant is controlling the Player.
		<ol>
			<li>As performed above, add the PlayerController, PlayerMotor, PlayerMotor2, and FloatObject scripts to the Player prefab. Those scripts allow the game participant to control the Player prefab by using Oculus VR Controllers.</li>
			<li>Add an animation to the Camera by selecting Assets | Create | Animator Controller. Use the Animator Window to record an animation of the Camera bobbing up and down and set it to loop continuously. This simulates a person keeping afloat in the ocean.</li>
			<li>As performed above, add a Canvas entitled TextCanvas. Child TextCanvas to the Player by dragging it into Player in the hierarchy. A child game object inherits the movement and rotation properties of the parent game object. Add the text &#8220;Swim through the buoys&#8221; to TextCanvas. Record an audio file reading that text, add it to TextCanvas as performed above, and set it to play at the start of the scene.</li>
			<li>Set the player location by navigating to the inspector tab and adjusting the Position in the Transform options. Set player location to X=-23.44, Y=1, and Z=5.97.</li>
		</ol>
		</li>
		<li>Download the VR Hands and FP Arms Pack from the Unity Asset Store and as above child the &#8216;FP_Character&#8217; prefab to the Player. This will allow the arms to move with the Player and also bob up and down with the Player Camera.
		<ol>
			<li>Choose the desired prefab by selecting it in the hierarchy and checking the box next to its name. The FP_Character prefab contains both male and female prefabs, each containing two arms, left and right.</li>
		</ol>
		</li>
		<li>Add a new Game Object by right clicking in the Hierarchy and selecting Create Empty. Name the Game Object Checkpoint.</li>
		<li>Download the Simple Buoy asset from Unity Asset Store and add the Buoy prefab to the scene as a child of the Checkpoint. Duplicate the Buoy prefab by right clicking on it and selecting Duplicate. Name one &#8216;buoy L&#8217; and the other &#8216;buoy R,&#8217; and place them 4 units part in the X axis by adjusting the transform position of each as above. Set the location for buoy L at X=-2, Y=0, and Z=0, and location for buoy R at X=2, Y=0, Z=0.
		<ol>
			<li>In the Inspector tab for the Checkpoint Game Object, select Add Component | Physics | Box Collidor. Then, select Edit Collider and draw the collider between the two buoys.</li>
			<li>As above, add the Checkmark script to the Checkpoint Game Object. The script exits the scene once the Player enters it (i.e., swims through the buoys) and transitions to the next scene.</li>
		</ol>
		</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Create the third new scene: Wave Test (Figure 3) by selecting File | Save As while still in the Buoy Test scene and renaming it.
	<ol>
		<li>Delete the Checkpoint Game Object by right clicking on it in the Hierarchy and selecting Delete.</li>
		<li>Add a simple wooden boat to the scene by downloading the Old Wooden Row Boat v2 asset from the Unity Asset Store and add the Boat prefab to the scene. Adjust the Transform position of the boat as above to X=-12, Y=-0.16, and Z=14.66.</li>
		<li>Download the Low Poly Animated People asset from the Unity Asset Store and add the Kid prefab to the scene. Duplicate the Kid prefab as above and child both to the Boat prefab, renaming the Game Object to Boat with kids, and locating the two kids on top of the two seats in the boat.</li>
		<li>As above, add an Animator to the Boat with kids Game Object, and record an animation of the boat slowly circling around the water, emulating a rowboat slowly moving around.</li>
		<li>Navigate to the Player prefab and its children in the Hierarchy window and rename the left hand to &#8216;wave hand.&#8217;
		<ol>
			<li>As above, add an Animator to the wave hand and record an animation of the arm and hand moving up and down simulating a hand wave.</li>
			<li>As above, in the Inspector tab for the Player Game Object, add an Audio Source with an audio clip of a hand splashing in water, distinct from the clip of two arms splashing in the water added earlier.</li>
			<li>As above, add the FemaleAnimate script to the wave hand, to allow the game participant to control the hand wave using the Oculus Controllers.</li>
		</ol>
		</li>
		<li>Adjust the text in TextCanvas to read &#8216;Wave to the people on the boat!,&#8217; record an audio file reading that text, and set it to play at the start of the scene.</li>
		<li>Based on the PlayerMotor2 script, as soon as the participant sees the boat and waves, Unity transitions to the Rip Current scene.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Create the fourth new scene: Rip Current (Figure 4).
	<ol>
		<li>Adjust the text in TextCanvas to read &#8216;You are being pulled from shore!&#8217; and as above, record an audio file reading that text, add it to TextCanvas, and set it to play at the start of the scene. 
		NOTE: Do not explicitly state that the participant is experiencing a rip current, in order to most accurately simulate being unexpectedly caught in a rip current.&#160;</li>
		<li>As above, create a new Game Object in the hierarchy named rip_collider and add a Box Collider. To use rip_collider to emulate a rip current as a narrow channel of flow extending from the beach into the ocean, use transform to set the position to X, =251, Y=1, Z=251, and change the scale to X=8.2 and Z=35.7 to create appropriate dimensions. The PlayerMotor2 script also simulates a rip current by constantly pulling the Player perpendicular (away) from shore (i.e., beach terrain). This rip current is a constant force 1.25 times stronger than the normal player swimming motions.
		<ol>
			<li>Select GameObject | Effects | Particle System to add a new particle system, entitled &#8216;Rain Basic,&#8217; and child it to rip_collider. A particle system emulates liquid entities in 3D such as rain and clouds. The particle system is used to simulate foamy water, which helps demarcate a rip current in ocean water. To do so, in the Inspector tab set the transform position to X=0, Y=3, and Z=0.97, and scale X=0.1 and Z=0.1, in order to embed the particles within the rip current channel.</li>
		</ol>
		</li>
		<li>As above, use the Inspector tab to add the RipExit script to the rip_collider Game Object. The script records whether the Player escapes the Rip Current (i.e., exits the rip_collider collider). 
		NOTE: As described in Table 1, the PlayerMotor2 script controls most aspects of the Rip Current scene, by exiting the scene and returning back to the Main Menu scene once any of the following conditions is met: 
		-- Player waves 
		-- Player exits rip_collider 
		-- Stamina reaches zero 
		The script also writes out the results of player interaction in the scene to a file, used for later data analysis on overall participant interactions with the rip current.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>To build the final project, select File | Build Settings and ensure all four scenes created are checked off and in the proper order. Then, select the platform PC, Mac &#38; Linux Standalone and select Build. This will prompt a selection window for a build output folder. Select a suitable folder (i.e., &#8216;Desktop&#8217;) and then build. This will create an executable file shortcut in the desired folder entitled &#8216;Rip Current.&#8217;</li>
</ol>
2. Survey individuals with the VR rip current video game
<ol>
	<li>Open up the &#8216;Oculus&#8217; software using the desktop shortcut, and then set up the hardware through the program. Ensure that the headset, two sensors, and two controllers are all showing as green (Figure 5).
	<ol>
		<li>Determine a survey location and recruitment method. In this study, convenience sampling was employed. The researchers visited a public beach two times per week for eight weeks during July and August and solicited potential participants while they walked along the beach promenade. Besides being at least 16 years of age, there was no other requirement besides willingness to participate.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Administer survey part one (consent form and demographic questions) on a separate iPad.</li>
	<li>Hand the VR controllers to the participant and make sure they are holding them properly in the correct hands, and are familiar/comfortable with the controls, and then fit the headset on the participant.</li>
	<li>Select and run the Rip Current shortcut from the Desktop.</li>
	<li>Allow the participant to proceed through the simulation, providing coaching/advice only when necessary. They should complete the main rip current scene on their own.</li>
	<li>Once they finish, remove the headset and begin part two of the survey, the interview portion.</li>
	<li>Plug a microphone into a tablet and begin recording. Ask questions regarding prior knowledge and experience with rip currents and the efficacy of the rip current simulation at demonstrating the proper actions to take, as well rating of its realism and immersive nature.</li>
	<li>Once the interview is complete, stop recording, thank the participant, and provide compensation as desired. Save the interview file with name corresponding to date and player number as recorded in the Rip Current scene.</li>
</ol>

<ol>
	<li>Rip Current Science. National Weather Service Available from: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.weather.gov/safety/ripcurrent-science">https://www.weather.gov/safety/ripcurrent-science</a> (2020)</li><li>Moulton, M., Dusek, G., Elgar, S., Raubenheimer, B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Comparison+of+rip+current+hazard+likelihood+forecasts+with+observed+rip+current+speeds.">Comparison of rip current hazard likelihood forecasts with observed rip current speeds.</a> Weather and Forecasting. 32 (4), 1659-1666 (2017).</li><li>Weather Related Fatality and Injury Statistics. National Weather Service Available from: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.weather.gov/hazstat">https://www.weather.gov/hazstat</a> (2020)</li><li>Gensini, V. A., Ashley, W. S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=An+examination+of+rip+current+fatalities+in+the+United+States.">An examination of rip current fatalities in the United States.</a> Natural Hazards. 54 (1), 159-175 (2010).</li><li>Houser, C., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Public+perceptions+of+a+rip+current+hazard+education+program:+"Break+the+Grip+of+the+Rip!".">Public perceptions of a rip current hazard education program: "Break the Grip of the Rip!".</a> Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences. 17 (7), 1003 (2017).</li><li>Doelp, M. B., Puleo, J. A., Cowan, P., Arford-Granholm, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Delaware+coast+Delaware+surf+zone+injury+demographics.">Delaware coast Delaware surf zone injury demographics.</a> The American Journal of Emergency Medicine. 36 (8), 1372-1379 (2018).</li><li>Castelle, B., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Surf+zone+hazards+and+injuries+on+beaches+in+SW+France.">Surf zone hazards and injuries on beaches in SW France.</a> Natural Hazards. 93 (3), 1317-1335 (2018).</li><li>Brannstrom, C., Trimble, S., Santos, A., Brown, H. L., Houser, C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Perception+of+the+rip+current+hazard+on+Galveston+Island+and+North+Padre+Island,+Texas,+USA.">Perception of the rip current hazard on Galveston Island and North Padre Island, Texas, USA.</a> Natural Hazards. 72 (2), 1123-1138 (2014).</li><li>Caldwell, N., Houser, C., Meyer-Arendt, K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Ability+of+beach+users+to+identify+rip+currents+at+Pensacola+Beach,+Florida.">Ability of beach users to identify rip currents at Pensacola Beach, Florida.</a> Natural Hazards. 68 (20), 1041-1056 (2013).</li><li>Fallon, K., Lai, Q., Leatherman, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Rip+current+literacy+of+beachgoers+at+Miami+Beach,+Florida.">Rip current literacy of beachgoers at Miami Beach, Florida.</a> Natural Hazards. 90 (2), 601-621 (2018).</li><li>Berg, L. P., Vance, J. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Industry+use+of+virtual+reality+in+product+design+and+manufacturing:+a+survey.">Industry use of virtual reality in product design and manufacturing: a survey.</a> Virtual Reality. 21 (1), 1-17 (2017).</li><li>Sundar, S. S., Kang, J., Oprean, D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Being+there+in+the+midst+of+the+story:+how+immersive+journalism+affects+our+perceptions+and+cognitions.">Being there in the midst of the story: how immersive journalism affects our perceptions and cognitions.</a> Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking. 20 (11), 672-682 (2017).</li><li>Dede, C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Immersive+interfaces+for+engagement+and+learning.">Immersive interfaces for engagement and learning.</a> Science. 323 (5910), 66-69 (2009).</li><li>Klippel, A., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+value+of+being+there:+toward+a+science+of+immersive+virtual+field+trips.">The value of being there: toward a science of immersive virtual field trips.</a> Virtual Reality. , 1-18 (2019).</li><li>Bernhardt, J., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Communicating+Hurricane+Risk+with+Virtual+Reality:+A+Pilot+Project.">Communicating Hurricane Risk with Virtual Reality: A Pilot Project.</a> Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. 100 (10), 1897-1902 (2019).</li><li>"Break the Grip of the Rip" brochure. National Weather Service Available from: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.weather.gov/media/safety/rip/rip_brochure_51419b.pdf">https://www.weather.gov/media/safety/rip/rip_brochure_51419b.pdf</a> (2019)</li><li>Rip Current Survival Guide transcript. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Available from: <a target="_blank" href="https://oceantoday.noaa.gov/ripcurrentfeature/">https://oceantoday.noaa.gov/ripcurrentfeature/</a> (2016)</li><li>McCarroll, R. J., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Evaluation+of+swimmer-based+rip+current+escape+strategies.">Evaluation of swimmer-based rip current escape strategies.</a> Natural Hazards. 71 (3), 1821-1846 (2014).</li><li>. Unity User Manual Available from: <a target="_blank" href="https://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/2Dor3D.html">https://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/2Dor3D.html</a> (2019)</li><li>. Unity Asset Store Available from: <a target="_blank" href="https://assetstore.unity.com/">https://assetstore.unity.com/</a> (2020)</li></ol>

The authors have nothing to disclose.

Preliminary analysis of the results from the follow-up survey demonstrates the VR rip current video game was generally effective in accurately portraying risk and demonstrating proper actions to take in an engaging and memorable way. Respondents to the Likert-scale questions indicated the VR simulation resulted in them feeling more prepared than not for a rip current and also that it was fairly immersive. Moreover, the results of choosing one of six brief statements clearly showed the video game was helpful given that ov...

Rip currents are &#8220;strong, narrow flows of water that extend away from the beach1.&#8221; Rip currents can commonly occur on any beach with breaking waves and can transport swimmers quickly away from shore. Hazardous rip currents can occur on seemingly &#8216;safe&#8217; beach days with wave heights of only 2 to 3 feet2, and thus can surprise swimmers as they are carried a considerable distance from shore. This puts swimmers at risk of panic, exhaustion, and even drowning. As a result, rip currents are one of the leading causes of weather fatalities in the United States. For example, in 2018, 71 deaths were attributed to rip currents, and for the 10-year period 2009-2018, an average of 58 individuals perished each year3. Rip currents are the leading hazard for beachgoers; in 2018, rip current deaths represented 65% of all &#8216;surf zone&#8217; fatalities in the United States. There seems to be some demographic control on rip current vulnerability, as one study found that men are over six times more likely than females to drown from rip currents than females4. Moreover, additional research found that infrequent beach users are more likely to make poorer beach safety choices5 and that non-locals are considerably more likely than locals to sustain injury in the surf zone6,7.
Nevertheless, despite their place among the deadliest weather hazards in the United States, rip currents are poorly understood by the public. A survey of 392 public beach users in Texas determined that only 13% could correctly identify a rip current from photographs presented to them8, while similar results were found in studies conducted in Pensacola Beach, Florida9 (15%) and Miami Beach, Florida10 (27%). More broadly, Houser et al (2017)5 performed an Internet-based survey with 1622 respondents across 49 of the 50 US states and found that 54% of the participants correctly reported an action to take when caught in a rip current. However, the self-selected nature of the survey sample dictated that only 10% of the sample was infrequent beach users, who are most vulnerable to rip currents and were shown in the survey to possess less knowledge of what to do in one.
It is clear that rip currents present a unique challenge, given that they are poorly understood by the public, can occur suddenly over small scales with minimal or no prior warning, and may result in death. Thus, new approaches are needed to address this public safety challenge. Immersive technology such as virtual reality (VR) provides an innovative approach to increase rip current literacy and encourage positive behavior upon impact. Prior research has indicated that VR and similar types of immersive media are highly effective at communicating information. VR is generally defined as an interactive experience taking place within a simulated environment that incorporates auditory and visual feedback, usually with the assistance of a headset. One recent study11 asserted that VR is a mature technology, well-suited to assist in the scientific inquiry process. Moreover, other recent research12 showed that when individuals read a New York Times story with a VR supplement, they were more likely to perceive the source as being credible, recall the information presented, share it with others, and feel an emotional connection, than those who read the article in traditional media, with just text and graphics. Additional studies13,14 concluded that immersive media promotes education by increasing engagement and real-world applicability of a topic. Most recently, researchers15 leveraged VR to simulate a Category 3 hurricane landfall and determined that survey respondents viewing the VR were significantly more likely to consider evacuation than those only viewing traditional text and graphic products. Despite its clear utility, no studies or initiatives have shown comprehensively how VR can be effectively applied to the unique challenge of training beach users to better locate and react to rip currents. The present work fills that research gap by first teaching individuals how to swim and wave in a virtual ocean environment and then evaluating how they react to the sudden and unwarned onset of a rip current. Participants were trained in both swimming and waving for help because each of those actions are regarded as valid responses when caught in a rip current16,17, with conditions particular to an individual rip often dictating which action might be most effective in facilitating escape18. We hypothesize that the realistic and memorable nature of a VR rip current simulation will allow participants to successfully take evasive action in the virtual game and then report that the experience enhanced their knowledge of rip current risk and mitigation.&#160;

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:661px;" width="662">
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	<tbody>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:243px;">Dell 17.3&#34; Alienware 17 R5 Laptop</td>
			<td style="width:71px;">Dell</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td style="width:229px;">PC for virtual reality development</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:243px;">Oculus Rift S</td>
			<td style="width:71px;">Oculus</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td>Virtual reality headset</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

developing a virtual reality video game to simulate rip currents

Beachgoers in the United States face many different hazards, but rip currents are annually the deadliest for ocean swimmers. Despite the risk presented by rip currents, it is apparent that the public has a limited understanding of their danger and the proper mitigating actions to take when caught in one. A virtual reality (VR) video game placing participants in a simulated rip current was developed to help ameliorate this issue. The VR game was used to survey beachgoers on the Atlantic Coast of Long Island, New York during July and August 2019. The actions participants took when confronted with the rip current were recorded, along with whether they escaped it or drowned. An interview with each player was also conducted after they partook in the game to determine the realism of the rip current simulation and its effectiveness in demonstrating proper actions to take when impacted by one. Analysis of those results indicates that VR has potential to communicate rip current risk and ways to minimize it in a unique and engaging manner. However, further work is needed to improve ease of use of the VR simulation and better understand how factors such as demographics influence perceived rip current risk and behavioral response.

The VR rip current video game survey was conducted in July and August 2019 on Long Island at the Town of Hempstead Beach in Point Lookout, New York (detailed results can be found in Supplementary Table 1-3). 64 individuals played the game and responded to the survey, with 60 escaping the rip current and 4 drowning (i.e., stamina reached zero). Among the 60 who escaped, 51 exited by waving for help, and 9 did so by physically swimming out of the rip. Given that most participants waved for help as a means ...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Developing a Virtual Reality Video Game to Simulate Rip Currents at JoVE.com

Developing a Virtual Reality Video Game to Simulate Rip Currents

Rip currents are among the deadliest meteorological hazards in the United States. In order to demonstrate the proper actions to take when caught in a rip current in a memorable and engaging way, a virtual reality video game is developed.

Beachgoers in the United States face many different hazards, but rip currents are annually the deadliest for ocean swimmers. Despite the risk presented by ...

developing-a-virtual-reality-video-game-to-simulate-rip-currents

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5.3K Views.  Hofstra University. Rip currents are among the deadliest meteorological hazards in the United States. In order to demonstrate the proper actions to take when caught in a rip current in a memorable and engaging way, a virtual reality video game is developed.

Video: Developing a Virtual Reality Video Game to Simulate Rip Currents

An Aquatic Microbial Metaproteomics Workflow: From Cells to Tryptic Peptides Suitable for Tandem Mass Spectrometry-based Analysis

Meta-omic technologies such as metagenomics, metatranscriptomics and metaproteomics can aid in the understanding of microbial community structure and metabolism. Although powerful, metagenomics alone can only elucidate functional potential. On the other hand, metaproteomics enables the description of the expressed in situ metabolism and function of a community. Here we describe a protocol for cell lysis, protein and DNA isolation, as well as peptide digestion and extraction from marine microbial cells collected on a cartridge filter unit (such as the Sterivex filter unit) and preserved in an RNA stabilization solution (like RNAlater). In mass spectrometry-based proteomics studies, the identification of peptides and proteins is performed by comparing peptide tandem mass spectra to a database of translated nucleotide sequences. Including the metagenome of a sample in the search database increases the number of peptides and proteins that can be identified from the mass spectra. Hence, in this protocol DNA is isolated from the same filter, which can be used subsequently for metagenomic analysis.

This protocol is for the extraction and concentration of protein and DNA from microbial biomass collected from seawater, followed by the generation of tryptic peptides suitable for tandem mass spectrometry-based proteomic analysis.

Meta-omic technologies such as metagenomics, metatranscriptomics and metaproteomics can aid in the understanding of microbial community structure and ...

A Push-pull Protocol to Reduce Colonization of Bird Nest Boxes by Honey Bees

Introduction of the invasive Africanized honey bee (AHB) into the Neotropics is a serious problem for many cavity nesting birds, specifically parrots. These bees select cavities that are suitable nest sites for birds, resulting in competition. The difficulty of removing bees and their defensive behavior makes a prevention protocol necessary. Here, we describe a push-pull integrated pest management protocol to deter bees from inhabiting bird boxes by applying a bird safe insecticide, permethrin, to repel bees from nest boxes, while simultaneously attracting them to pheromone-baited swarm traps. Shown here is an example experiment using Barn Owl nest boxes. This protocol successfully reduced colonization of Barn Owl nest boxes by Africanized honey bees. This protocol is flexible, allowing adjustments to accommodate a wide range of bird species and habitats. This protocol could benefit conservation efforts where AHB are located.

Preventing colonization of bird nest boxes by invasive Africanized honey bees is important for conservation efforts of nest-site limited birds. We provide an integrated pest management approach to &#34;push&#34; bees away from nest boxes with a repellant insecticide, permethrin, and &#34;pull&#34; them toward pheromone baited swarm traps.

Introduction of the invasive Africanized honey bee (AHB) into the Neotropics is a serious problem for many cavity nesting birds, specifically parrots. ...

Video Tracking Protocol to Screen Deterrent Chemistries for Honey Bees

The European honey bee, Apis mellifera L., is an economically and agriculturally important pollinator that generates billions of dollars annually. Honey bee colony numbers have been declining in the United States and many European countries since 1947. A number of factors play a role in this decline, including the unintentional exposure of honey bees to pesticides. The development of new methods and regulations are warranted to reduce pesticide exposures to these pollinators. One approach is the use of repellent chemistries that deter honey bees from a recently pesticide-treated crop. Here, we describe a protocol to discern the deterrence of honey bees exposed to select repellent chemistries. Honey bee foragers are collected and starved overnight in an incubator 15 h prior to testing. Individual honey bees are placed into Petri dishes that have either a sugar-agarose cube (control treatment) or sugar-agarose-compound cube (repellent treatment) placed into the middle of the dish. The Petri dish serves as the arena that is placed under a camera in a light box to record the honey bee locomotor activities using video tracking software. A total of 8 control and 8 repellent treatments were analyzed for a 10 min period with each treatment was duplicated with new honey bees. Here, we demonstrate that honey bees are deterred from the sugar-agarose cubes with a compound treatment whereas honey bees are attracted to the sugar-agarose cubes without an added compound.

The loss of honey bee colonies presents a challenge to crop pollination services. Current pollinator protection practices warrant an alternative approach to minimize the contact of honey bees to harmful pesticides using repellent chemistries. Here, we provide detailed methods for a visual tracking protocol to screen deterrents for bees.

The European honey bee, Apis mellifera L., is an economically and agriculturally important pollinator that generates billions of dollars annually. Honey ...

Methodology for Developing Life Tables for Sessile Insects in the Field Using the Whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, in Cotton As a Model System

Life tables provide a means of measuring the schedules of birth and death from populations over time. They also can be used to quantify the sources and rates of mortality in populations, which has a variety of applications in ecology, including agricultural ecosystems. Horizontal, or cohort-based, life tables provide for the most direct and accurate method of quantifying vital population rates because they follow a group of individuals in a population from birth to death. Here, protocols are presented for conducting and analyzing cohort-based life tables in the field that takes advantage of the sessile nature of the immature life stages of a global insect pest, Bemisia tabaci. Individual insects are located on the underside of cotton leaves and are marked by drawing a small circle around the insect with a non-toxic pen. This insect can then be observed repeatedly over time with the aid of hand lenses to measure development from one stage to the next and to identify stage-specific causes of death associated with natural and introduced mortality forces. Analyses explain how to correctly measure multiple mortality forces that act contemporaneously within each stage and how to use such data to provide meaningful population dynamic metrics. The method does not directly account for adult survival and reproduction, which limits inference to dynamics of immature stages. An example is presented that focused on measuring the impact of bottom-up (plant quality) and top-down (natural enemies) effects on the mortality dynamics of B. tabaci in the cotton system.

Methodology for Developing Life Tables for Sessile Insects in the Field Using the Whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, in Cotton As a Model System

Life tables allow quantification of the sources and rates of mortality in insect populations and contribute to understanding, predicting and manipulating population dynamics in agroecosystems. Methods for conducting and analyzing cohort-based life tables in the field for an insect with sessile immature life stages are presented.

Life tables provide a means of measuring the schedules of birth and death from populations over time. They also can be used to quantify the sources and ...

Development of New Methods for Quantifying Fish Density Using Underwater Stereo-video Tools

The use of video camera systems in ecological studies of fish continues to gain traction as a viable, non-extractive method of measuring fish lengths and estimating fish abundance. We developed and implemented a rotating stereo-video camera tool that covers a full 360 degrees of sampling, which maximizes sampling effort compared to stationary camera tools. A variety of studies have detailed the ability of static, stereo-camera systems to obtain highly accurate and precise measurements of fish; the focus here was on the development of methodological approaches to quantify fish density using rotating camera systems. The first approach was to develop a modification of the metric MaxN, which typically is a conservative count of the minimum number of fish observed on a given camera survey. We redefine MaxN to be the maximum number of fish observed in any given rotation of the camera system. When precautions are taken to avoid double counting, this method for MaxN may more accurately reflect true abundance than that obtained from a fixed camera. Secondly, because stereo-video allows fish to be mapped in three-dimensional space, precise estimates of the distance-from-camera can be obtained for each fish. By using the 95% percentile of the observed distance from camera to establish species-specific areas surveyed, we account for differences in detectability among species while avoiding diluting density estimates by using the maximum distance a species was observed. Accounting for this range of detectability is critical to accurately estimate fish abundances. This methodology will facilitate the integration of rotating stereo-video tools in both applied science and management contexts.

We describe a new method for counting fishes, and estimating relative abundance (MaxN) and fish density using rotating stereo-video camera systems. We also demonstrate how to use distance from camera (Z distance) to estimate species-specific detectability.

The use of video camera systems in ecological studies of fish continues to gain traction as a viable, non-extractive method of measuring fish lengths and ...

A Video Surveillance System to Monitor Breeding Colonies of Common Terns (Sterna Hirundo)

Many waterbird populations have faced declines over the last century, including the common tern (Sterna hirundo), a waterbird species with a widespread breeding distribution, that has been recently listed as endangered in some habitats of its range. Waterbird monitoring programs exist to track populations through time; however, some of the more intensive approaches require entering colonies and can be disruptive to nesting populations. This paper describes a protocol that utilizes a minimally invasive surveillance system to continuously monitor common tern nesting behavior in typical ground-nesting colonies. The video monitoring system utilizes wireless cameras focused on individual nests as well as over the colony as a whole, and allows for observation without entering the colony. The video system is powered with several 12 V car batteries that are continuously recharged using solar panels. Footage is recorded using a digital video recorder (DVR) connected to a hard drive, which can be replaced when full. The DVR may be placed outside of the colony to reduce disturbance. In this study, 3,624 h of footage recorded over 63 days in weather conditions ranging from 12.8 &#176;C to 35.0 &#176;C produced 3,006 h (83%) of usable behavioral data. The types of data retrieved from the recorded video can vary; we used it to detect external disturbances and measure nesting behavior during incubation. Although the protocol detailed here was designed for ground-nesting waterbirds, the principal system could easily be modified to accommodate alternative scenarios, such as colonial arboreal nesting species, making it widely applicable to a variety of research needs.

A Video Surveillance System to Monitor Breeding Colonies of Common Terns Sterna Hirundo

This paper describes a protocol that uses a remote video monitoring surveillance system to continuously monitor breeding colonies of ground-nesting waterbirds. The system includes five cameras monitoring individual nests and one camera monitoring the colony as a whole, and is powered by car batteries that are recharged via solar panels.

Many waterbird populations have faced declines over the last century, including the common tern (Sterna hirundo), a waterbird species with a widespread ...

Protocol for Producing Three-Dimensional Infrared Video of Freezing in Plants

Freezing in plants can be monitored using infrared (IR) thermography, because when water freezes, it gives off heat. However, problems with color contrast make 2-dimensions (2D) infrared images somewhat difficult to interpret. Viewing an IR image or the video of plants freezing in 3 dimensions (3D) would allow a more accurate identification of sites for ice nucleation as well as the progression of freezing. In this paper, we demonstrate a relatively simple means to produce a 3D infrared video of a strawberry plant freezing. Strawberry is an economically important crop that is subjected to unexpected spring freeze events in many areas of the world. An accurate understanding of the freezing in strawberry will provide both breeders and growers with more economical ways to prevent any damage to plants during freezing conditions.
The technique involves a positioning of two IR cameras at slightly different angles to film the strawberry freezing. The two video streams will be precisely synchronized using a screen capture software that records both cameras simultaneously. The recordings will then be imported into the imaging software and processed using an anaglyph technique. Using red-blue glasses, the 3D video will make it easier to determine the precise site of ice nucleation on leaf surfaces.

Here, we present a protocol to image a strawberry plant freezing in 3 dimensions. Two infrared cameras positioned at slightly different angles are used to produce a red-blue anaglyph video to observe the freezing of the plant in 3 dimensions.

Freezing in plants can be monitored using infrared (IR) thermography, because when water freezes, it gives off heat. However, problems with color contrast ...

Combining Eye-tracking Data with an Analysis of Video Content from Free-viewing a Video of a Walk in an Urban Park Environment

As individuals increasingly live in cities, methods to study their everyday movements and the data that can be collected becomes important and valuable. Eye-tracking informatics are known to connect to a range of feelings, health conditions, mental states and actions. But because vision is the result of constant eye-movements, teasing out what is important from what is noise is complex and data intensive. Furthermore, a significant challenge is controlling for what people look at compared to what is presented to them.
The following presents a methodology for combining and analyzing eye-tracking on a video of a natural and complex scene with a machine learning technique for analyzing the content of the video. In the protocol we focus on analyzing data from filmed videos, how a video can be best used to record participants&#39; eye-tracking data, and importantly how the content of the video can be analyzed and combined with the eye-tracking data. We present a brief summary of the results and a discussion of the potential of the method for further studies in complex environments.

The objective of the protocol is to detail how to collect video data for use in the laboratory; how to record eye-tracking data of participants looking at the data and how to efficiently analyze the content of the videos that they were looking at using a machine learning technique.

As individuals increasingly live in cities, methods to study their everyday movements and the data that can be collected becomes important and valuable. ...

Long-term Video Tracking of Cohoused Aquatic Animals: A Case Study of the Daily Locomotor Activity of the Norway Lobster (Nephrops norvegicus)

We present a protocol related to a video-tracking technique based on the background subtraction and image thresholding that makes it possible to individually track cohoused animals. We tested the tracking routine with four cohoused Norway lobsters (Nephrops norvegicus) under light-darkness conditions for 5 days. The lobsters had been individually tagged. The experimental setup and the tracking techniques used are entirely based on the open source software. The comparison of the tracking output with a manual detection indicates that the lobsters were correctly detected 69% of the times. Among the correctly detected lobsters, their individual tags were correctly identified 89.5% of the times. Considering the frame rate used in the protocol and the movement rate of lobsters, the performance of the video tracking has a good quality, and the representative results support the validity of the protocol in producing valuable data for research needs (individual space occupancy or locomotor activity patterns). The protocol presented here can be easily customized and is, hence, transferable to other species where the individual tracking of specimens in a group can be valuable for answering research questions.

Long-term Video Tracking of Cohoused Aquatic Animals: A Case Study of the Daily Locomotor Activity of the Norway Lobster Nephrops norvegicus

Here we present a protocol to individually track animals over a long period of time. It uses computer vision methods to identify a set of manually constructed tags by using a group of lobsters as case study, simultaneously providing information on how to house, manipulate, and mark the lobsters.

We present a protocol related to a video-tracking technique based on the background subtraction and image thresholding that makes it possible to ...

Composition and Distribution Analysis of Bioaerosols Under Different Environmental Conditions

Variable microorganisms in particulate matter (PM) under different environmental conditions may have significant impacts on human health. In this study, we described a protocol for multiple analyses of the biological compositions in environmental PM. Five experiments are presented: (1) PM number monitoring by using a laser particle counter; (2) PM collection by using a cyclonic aerosol sampler; (3) PM collection by using a high-volume air sampler with filters; (4) culturable microbes collection by the Andersen six-stage sampler; and (5) detection of biological composition of environmental PM by bacterial 16SrDNA and fungal ITS region sequencing. We selected hazy days and a livestock farm as two typical examples of the application in this protocol. In this study, these two sampling methods, cyclonic aerosol sampler and filter sampler, showed different sampling efficiency. The cyclonic aerosol sampler performed much better in terms of collecting bacteria, while these two methods showed the same efficiency in collecting fungi. Filter samplers can work under low temperature conditions while cyclonic aerosol samplers have a sampling limitation for temperature. A solid impacting sampler, such as an Andersen six-stage sampler, can be used to sample bioaerosols directly into the culture medium, which increases the survival rate of culturable microorganisms. However, this method mainly relies on culture while more than 99% of microbes cannot be cultured. DNA extracted from the culturable bacteria collected by the Andersen six-stage sampler and samples collected by cyclonic aerosol sampler and filter sampler were detected by bacterial 16S rDNA and fungal ITS region sequencing.All the methods above may have wide application in many fields of study, such as environmental monitoring and airborne pathogen detection. From these results, we can conclude that these methods can be used under different conditions and may help other researchers further explore the health impacts of environmental bioaerosols.

Understanding the biological composition of environmental particulate matter is important for the study of its significant impacts on human health and disease spread. Here, we used three types of bioaerosol sampling methods and a biological analysis of airborne microbes to better explore airborne microbial communities under different environmental conditions.

Variable microorganisms in particulate matter (PM) under different environmental conditions may have significant impacts on human health. In this study, ...