Latest Contributions by DawnWright

As we begin both the Esri Ocean and Atmospheric Forum as well as the Seabed 2030 Map the Gaps Symposium, here is a Wakelet (essentially my notes and pictures) of last month's Nippon-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Vision-to-Action event in London. This includes a recap of the panel that I was asked to serve on with Andy Hoggarth of Teledyne CARIS, Almar Hollaar of QPS, and Wetherbee Dorshow of Earth Analytic.  This meeting, which took place at the historic Royal Society on Tuesday 22 October, was convened to mark the progress made in the two years since Seabed 2030 was launched, and to look ahead to the remaining challenges of mapping the gaps in our understanding of the seafloor. In the short time that it has been operational, Seabed 2030 has already seen a doubling of the bathymetric data available to produce the definitive map of the world’s oceans – an increase equivalent in size to the landmass of the entire African continent. The invitation-only roster of attendees included some of the world’s leading ocean scientists and maritime organizations, including representatives from the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO. Also in attendance were delegates from industry partners such as Esri (Chief Scientist Dawn Wright and Maritime Program Manager + GEBCO TSCOM Vice Chair Caitlyn Raines), the XPRIZE Foundation, and the team behind SEA-KIT, the unmanned surface vessel (USV) which formed a key part of the GEBCO-Nippon Foundation Alumni Team’s winning entry in the Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE. For additional info and notes see esriurl.com/visiontoaction and Seabed 2030's press release. ... View more

Welcome to our new Esri science portfolio site! Science underpins everything that Esri produces. We develop for and support a number of sciences. We're very excited about all the things that we're doing across all the environmental sciences, and into the social sciences and digital humanities. This is embedded in what we do—to strengthen the foundation of our software and services; to research, publish, communicate, and serve alongside the scientific community; and to inspire positive change in society. Rather than a site focusing exclusively on what we SELL, this site focuses on what we BELIEVE as we conduct the broad and important MISSION of science (THE SCIENCE OF WHERE ®). In turn, it shares what we are specifically ACCOMPLISHING in collaboration with our users, in the areas of Open Science, Weather & Climate, Solid Earth Science (e.g., hydrology, ecology, geology, agriculture, etc.), Ocean Science, Geographic Information Science (including data science), and Social Science.   Let's keep going forward together! Enjoy!  ... View more

Registration for the Esri Ocean and Atmospheric GIS Forum in sunny Redlands, Nov 5-7 is still open! Paper deadline extended to 13 September! Don't miss out, especially at this critical time for oceans, weather & climate change! https://www.esri.com/…/about/events/ocean-gis-forum/overview #EsriOceanForum  We are offering the most exciting Forum ever, with a potent array of workshops, speakers, sponsors, and new information and insights for this growing community. We are also extending a warm welcome (and focused content) to our Atmospheric and MetOcean users. Our community is moving into new and profound areas, such as large scale bathy data collection and processing, 3D and 4D analytics, new applications for imagery, IoT, and big data processing at sea, and much more. We are certain that attending this year’s Forum will inspire innovative approaches from proven best practices, which will help ‘close the gap’ between your work, and the solutions our people and planet require. What to Expect: Three Powerful Days of Networking, Learning, and Collaborating. After a welcome from Esri Chief Scientist Dawn Wright, and words of inspiration from Sylvia A. Earle (!!), Joseph A. Pica of the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS)(https://www.weather.gov/organization/pica-joseph) will present the keynote address on Tuesday, November 5. Pica serves as Deputy Director at the National Centers for Environmental Information, providing access to one of the most significant archives on earth, with comprehensive oceanic, atmospheric, and geophysical data from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun and from million-year-old ice core records to near-real-time satellite images. The morning will continue with a short set of technical presentations from accomplished technology architects and thought leaders from both the atmospheric and ocean communities.  On Wednesday, November 6th we feature the Technical Plenary, where feature a unique set of Ocean and Atmospheric analysis demonstrations, with out-of-the-box functionality that will inspire your work across several application areas. Included in the Tech Plenary topics are the following: - Machine Learning for Ocean Plastics - Space Time Cubes - Multidimensional analytical tools - Map comparison workflows - Applied Big Data analysis - Data Automation We will have several post-conference workshops to choose from on Thursday, November 7: - Insights for ArcGIS with Ocean Data - Field Operations and Story Maps - Web AppBuilder and Configurable Apps - Using Drone2Map - ArcGIS Pro Basics for Science - Advanced Analytical Workflows for Ocean and Atmospheric Science Also attending are business partners, distributors, and Esri staff, who will be presenting an amazing array of new applications and techniques that will define the state of Ocean and MetOcean GIS and forge your creativity in your work. Please join us at Esri headquarters and get involved to inspire your peers from this thriving community of mutli-D GIS practitioners! Register today! http://www.esri.com/events/ocean  ... View more

Many thanks again to those who attended the Science Symposium as part of the 2019 Esri Education Summit and User Conference. Your participation made for the greatest event to date, and we are pleased to share with you some items by way of follow up.   The introductory slide deck of Esri Chief Scientist Dawn Wright is attached below. Monica Pratt's excellent overview in ArcUser magazine is available at: https://www.esri.com/about/newsroom/arcuser/science-symposium/ . A Wakelet social media compilation featuring your own notes, impressions, and photos of the speakers and their slides is available at: https://wakelet.com/wake/b9391f96-00c2-4dc3-9d1d-d707b2fd1eba.  Next year’s keynote will be delivered by National Climate Assessment co-author, YouTube star, and award-winning climate scientist, Katharine Hayhoe!   Thanks again and we hope to see you next year! ... View more

Dear Colleague,   As an attendee of either the 2019 Esri Education Summit or the 2019 Esri User Conference, you are warmly invited to a special event, the Esri Science Symposium.   When & Where: Tuesday, July 9, 2019 4:00-6:30 pm San Diego Convention Center (SDCC) Ballroom 20 D The 2019 symposium will include the following: A tag-team keynote address and software demo by Olga Wilhelmi and Jennifer Boehnert of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), about some of the most important climate change issues of the day, including deadly heat waves   Audience Q&A and interactive discussion Each attendee will receive a free copy of the exciting new Esri Press book, GIS for Science: Applying Mapping and Spatial Analytics, which has already received rave reviews from Jim Fallows, Jane Lubchenco, Mike Goodchild, Noel Cressie, Lynn Scarlett of TNC, Peter Kareiva of UCLA, and more.   Networking reception with delicious appetizers and a hosted bar providing beer, wine, soft drinks, and bottled water   This event seeks to broaden the tent of Esri UC participation—beyond the traditional geographers and GIScientists—to include those working in the domain sciences (e.g., ocean science, hydrology, ecology, forestry, climate science, geology/geophysics, agricultural science, conservation biology, sustainability science and/or geodesign, health sciences, and the social sciences). A further aim is to strengthen the links between Esri and the scientific community, while (re)crystallizing a community of scientists at the Esri UC who normally attend disparate sessions throughout the week.   Please feel free to share this invitation (including the RSVP link at the bottom of the event info page) with others who might be interested.   We look forward to seeing you in San Diego this July!   Best wishes,   Dawn Wright, Esri Chief Scientist Jack Dangermond, Esri President and CEO ... View more

 A new Esri Press book, GIS for Science: Applying Mapping & Spatial Analytics, edited by Dawn Wright and Christian Harder, is due for release this summer, time for the UC. Every attendee of the Esri Science Symposium on Tuesday of the UC will receive a free copy.   This book is about how many things geospatial, including geospatial data science, are a force multiplier for great science writ large, especially as enabled by geographic information systems (GIS). However, rather than a dry research monograph, this book is much more visual, along the lines of Wired magazine meets National Geographic, and thus for a broader Scientific-American-type audience. It will also have a comprehensive accompanying web site, GISforScience.com, where data, maps, videos, web apps, story maps, workflows and snippets of computer code, including Python notebooks, from the chapters will be freely available.   We increasingly see GIS used as part of scientific workflows to address a broad range of critically-important problems. The chapters in this book show how GIS, particularly Web GIS, provides an objective platform for effectively conducting and sharing scientific research. At a time in history when so many indicators of long-term sustainability are pointing in the wrong direction, I think we can all agree that the world desperately needs spatial applications of the very best in scientific thinking. Hence we have assembled this collection of great examples from across the scientific spectrum (with more to come in a second volume next year).   The Table of Contents includes a very strong cast of scholars working at the intersection of GIS and science, and from institutions such as Harvard, the University of Minnesota, the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), and the National Audubon Society, the US Geological Survey (USGS), and more.   An introductory reflection is written by Kathryn Sullivan, retired NASA astronaut and former NOAA administrator.   Praise for the book is pouring in. This a sample of endorsements from as many as 35 scientists who have read a special advance copy: James Fallows Staff Writer, The Atlantic; former Chief Speechwriter for President Jimmy Carter "This book is beautiful as well as illuminating, and it dramatizes the ways in which the new science of geospatial information is enriching and empowering all other scientific disciplines." Jane Lubchenco Environmental scientist, Marine ecologist, former Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (2009-2013); former U.S. Science Envoy for the Ocean (2014-2016); University Distinguished Professor "Maps, images, data, and stories collide brilliantly in this volume to shed new light on scientific challenges and societal problems.  Place plus time plus rich information can be a powerful accelerator of comprehension, engagement and solutions."    "If you love maps like I do, you’ll be drawn to this book.  But you’ll quickly discover so much more: the power of harnessing multiple perspectives and data types that infuse maps with even more meaning and catalyze new insights.  A veritable treasure trove of ideas. " Jessica Hellman Director, Institute on the Environment, University of Minnesota “There is no better tool to understand our place in the world than GIS, and this book puts its power on beautiful display. It’s a book for scientists and all of Earth’s stewards.” Lynn Scarlett Vice President of The Nature Conservancy; Chair, Science Advisory Board, NOAA “'The Science of Where' comes alive in GIS for Science. The book is, yes, informative, helping us understand how the world works, how it looks, and how we see it through images, maps, and more. Above all, it is dazzling, combining knowledge with a sense of wonder, bringing a desire to press for more discovery, and invoking a deep appreciation for why smart decisions spring from taking science to action.” ... View more

Several of us are away at two fairly large scientific conferences, the 2019 American Association of Geographers Annual Meeting (AAG) and the 2019 European Geosciences Union General Assembly (EGU), both ranging from 9000-15,000 attendees. Here is a sampling of the scientific research being presented:   AAG 2019 Symposium on Frontiers in Geospatial Data Science  http://cybergis.illinois.edu/event/aag-2019-symposium-on-frontiers-in-geospatial-data-science/   And papers/posters by Esri staff at EGU: Esri Romania Esri Consultant: Assessing the performance of various machine learning algorithms for forest disturbance mapping    Esri Germany Melanie Brandmeier: Coupling Deep Learning and GIS for forest damage assessment based on high-resolution remote sensing data Esri Germany Melanie Brandmeier: Lithological classification using multi-sensor data and Convolutional Neural Networks Orhun Aydin, Esri HQ: Spatio-temporal co-location analysis of dynamic plastic debris and marine life in the Pacific Ocean | download poster   ... View more

Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Esri have come together for a Smart Oceans Panel at SXSW 2019, entitled Technology from Surf to Seafloor  The demand for oceanographic data has never been greater—we need to understand how our coasts, open oceans, and coral reefs are changing if we are to preserve and efficiently utilize the ocean’s vast resources. Marine technology development must confront challenges such as turbulent waves, intense pressure at depth, and remote and (big) data transfer issues, for example. Now, more than ever, scientists and engineers need to make their complex discoveries accessible to broad audiences via high-tech data visualization and storytelling. This panel will explore innovative ways that technology development is advancing in the ocean—from the Internet-of-Things-enabled surfboard fin that aims to measure coastlines changing due to sea-level rise, ocean acidification, and more, to mapping technologies that `visualize and interpret the ocean from the sea surface to the seafloor. The panel occurs Monday, March 11, 2019 Watch this space for a short recap. ... View more