Big Animals in an Ocean of Data

This presentation was given during the Exploratorium's Conversations About Landscape series on "From Data to Decisions: How Visualizations of Our Environment Inform Our Actions", held Tuesday, May 19th.

More and more of our lives and landscapes are recorded as data, whether through GPS trackers, satellite imagery, or rapid genomic sequencing. To help us comprehend these datasets, we need effective data visualizations—pictures that help our image-oriented brains detect the patterns hidden in mountains of numbers. At their best, visualizations can also empower us to make better-informed decisions. Join scientists and designers for a conversation about how data visualization can shape our daily lives and public policies.

Marine scientist Randy Kochevar discusses the Tagging of Pelagic Predators project, which tags and tracks marine predators, revealing where they are headed and the hidden highways they use to migrate. Visualizations of the data are helping to inform the creation of marine protected areas.