THROWING IMAGEJ TO THE (GRAY) WOLVES: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF IMAGEJ’S APPLICABILITY IN A NON-LABORATORY SETTING

Abstract

ImageJ is an image processing program originally created for use in medical microscopy but, due to its users’ ability to add any plugins they create, it has a theoretically unlimited set of functions. However, few studies have taken ImageJ out of its traditional lab setting, and even fewer (potentially none) have looked at when it is and isn’t an effective program to use in non-lab settings. The hypothesis of this project was that, in addition to its traditional use in medical microscopy and other laboratory projects, ImageJ could also be used as an effective tool for field studies. Specifically, it was hypothesized that ImageJ could be used to more easily track and quantify the outbreak of sarcoptic mange in Yellowstone gray wolves. This application of the program would be useful because it would allow researchers to more fully explore resources they've already gathered. If ImageJ could be shown to be useful in this context researchers could expand the data available to them by using pictures to track and quantify mange outbreaks instead of using more labor-intensive methods. In addition, if the program's use was shown in this context, further applications could include tracking the spread of mange in other species, or potentially tracking other diseases that have a visual manifestation. This study did not find clear-cut evidence that ImageJ can be used to track and quantify the outbreak of sarcoptic mange in Yellowstone gray wolves. The project did, however, examine a promising alternative to its main method in the form of a thermal picture. Using thermal pictures with ImageJ to track and quantify mange in Yellowstone gray wolves appears to be the most promising avenue for any future projects interested in this potential application of ImageJ.