Both of these ideas are only in the formulation phase; I haven't solidified anything. For jellyfish, I would need data on current jellyfish locations and the habitats that jellyfish would need - perhaps certain water depths, presence of jellyfish prey, and water temperature. These limits would be set on the initial map, which hopefully would be a time step map from like 1980 to 2000, which could then be used to progress jellyfish progress into the future according to climate change. I predict that climate change will have a large impact on aquatic organisms in general, as temperature of water is a determining factor for survival. In terms of jellyfish, I think the temperature of the water will decide how far and to what extent they spread. Jellyfish succeed in warmer temperatures, and invasive and nuisance species like the Portuguese Man of War (shown below) will extend their range to waters further north.
Picture source: http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/portuguese%20man%20of%20war
The second idea was to examine the movement of maple tree species further north, again an effect of climate change. In order to produce maple syrup, maple trees need freezing nights and warm days in order for the sap to flow and be collected. The problem with this idea is that Vermont is seeing fewer of these days compared to the past; the land and climate further north will be more suitable for harvest and production of maple syrup. Thus, I was curious to explore the economic effects of this shift in maple syrup production as climate change occurs.
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