Visualizing Data: Chlorophyll on the UCSB Campus

For this assignment, we were tasked with visualizing a set of data in a unique way. I decided to use data that I collected in Spring 2021 as a part of the Culver Lab on the chlorophyll levels at different areas of the pipelines that run from the ocean to five buildings on UCSB's campus. Chlorophyll is an indication of microalgal levels, an important food source for rock scallops and other filter feeders. The purpose of this data collection was to examine whether there is a difference in chlorophyll between unfiltered, moderately filtered, and filtered seawater. 

In the image, there are three major pipelines: super raw water, raw water, and filtered water. These are colloquial names for the three "flavors" of seawater that UCSB pumps on campus, used by researchers in the Marine Science Institute. The numbers in the pipes indicate the level of total chlorophyll measured in micrograms per liter (ug/L). The outcome of this study was that there is no observable difference in the level of chlorophyll between raw and super raw water, even though raw water undergoes some filtering. Through this graphic, I hope to communicate this important information to researchers and students at UCSB, while also providing them with a better understanding of UCSB's seawater pipeline.