My first semester at the Nicholas School introduced me to a wide array of new ideas, technologies and approaches for managing and protecting the marine environment. In a natural resource economics class, I\u00a0studied the\u00a0theories\u00a0behind fishery management, learning how economic models and concepts could be applied to sustainably\u00a0manage fish populations. In a geospatial analysis course, I learned how to create\u00a0visual representations of data and trends,\u00a0using maps to convey\u00a0findings in ways that numbers alone fail to do. In an ocean law course, I observed how science is\u00a0used during cases,\u00a0and how data becomes insignificant if not communicated effectively.<\/p>\n
Throughout the semester, the ways in which\u00a0science is shared and conveyed struck me.\u00a0Both within the scientific community and to the public, how information is displayed, distributed and accessed plays a large role in the success of management\u00a0goals. The use of new technologies for scientific research and management is a recently emerging option for policymakers and environmental managers, and holds promise for reducing conservation challenges. A few\u00a0of the most striking examples of ways that ocean data is currently being visualized and shared are included below, each with links to explore the interactive software\u00a0yourself.<\/p>\n