UC Santa Barbara Researchers Develop Free Tool to Make Ocean Mapping Easier
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Scientists have access to vast amounts of ocean data, but finding and organizing that information can be a challenge. Researchers at UC Santa Barbara have developed a free software tool designed to make the process easier.
The tool, called Oceandatr, helps scientists bring together ocean data from multiple sources, making it easier to analyze and create maps that can support marine research and conservation.
“There’s relatively little known about the deep ocean,” said Jason Flower, a project scientist at UC Santa Barbara. “The tool really helps bring together most of the information sources we have. It’s particularly information that’s useful for making maps.”
Ocean depth can offer important clues about marine habitats and where different species live. Danielle Ferraro, a marine data scientist at UCSB, said researchers cannot physically count every fish or coral in the ocean, making other sources of information essential to understanding marine ecosystems.
“Ocean depth is a really useful kind of proxy for where different animals in the ocean live, where different types of habitats are,” Ferraro said.
The software can help researchers examine information about the seafloor and ocean conditions, as well as data relevant to fishing activity and marine protected areas.
Scientists use that information to better understand where people fish and dive, how ocean conditions are changing and which areas may need protection, Flower said.
The research team developed the software in part through work on marine spatial planning in island nations, including Vanuatu and Fiji. Researchers say the tool can also be used to study smaller areas, including coastal regions.
Ferraro said the software helps researchers spend less time gathering and organizing information and more time advancing their work.
“It frees up my time so that I can think about the more important parts of our work and really progress our research questions forward,” Ferraro said.
The team plans to continue expanding the software, including adding more data and improving its speed.
Oceandatr is available for free through the research team's GitHub page.
