Dalton Inman

For this class, we were asked to do anything we want for GIS Day, so I decided to host my own little information session with my family at home. I realized that even though I tell my family the gist of what I do and want to do in the future, they didn't actually understand the extent. From their words "I make maps about the ocean" which I thought was extremely funny. I thought it might be meaningful to share some of the GIS work I’ve been doing in my courses and Internship so I can really show with them what I really want to do in the future (and also to have a nice little dinner out of it).  The event was all informal with using my laptop connected to the TV showing ArcPro software and my blogposts. I made part of the event to my sister who is a police officer, by showing the crime analysis work I recently completed for my GIS4048 class and how these techniques could help police departments identify patterns and predict areas of high crime risk which she thought was genu...

As I continue my GIS internship at the Escambia County Marine Resource Division, I’ve had the opportunity to expand my skills in geospatial data pertaining to marine and environmental management. Early in my internship, I was tasked on creating over 15 GIS maps based on boating data that identified accident sites, citations, and warnings. Here is an example of one of the maps I created:  More recently, I’ve moved to my other projects which were SAAD involves mapping SAAD (Suspected Abandoned and Derelict) Vessels in Bayou Chico. This is one of the more data heavy assignments I’ve taken on since it not only involves using data from years of collection, but also organizing the vessels that may have incorrect input data (Like Vessel name or registration). There are also pictures of most of the vessels that I can use to reference between vehicles. The reason why I'm working on this is these vessels pose environmental hazards and also complicate navigation for other boaters, so org...

In this weeks assignment for my GIS course, I explored the real-world opportunities that align with my passion for marine biology and spatial science. I have always been interested by the ocean and conservation, and my goal is to pursue a career as a Marine GIS Technician, ideally with NOAA or a similar marine-focused organization, and that was what our assignment was to look in to. Either we could look into our dream GIS job, or look at different job sites for jobs we might be interested in. While researching, I found out how essential GIS has become in the field of marine science in the past few decades. Studies in mapping coral reefs, tracking seagrass beds, or showing coastal erosion over time, GIS is now one of the most important tools in understanding and protecting underwater ecosystems. I noticed that positions like Habitat Mapping Analyst or Marine GIS Specialist are often available through government agencies such as NOAA, as well as through environmental contractors like Lyn...

I’m excited to share a bit about my summer internship and how I will be getting some hands-on experience with GIS. I’m currently working as a GIS Intern  for the Escambia County Marine Resource Division which is a marine-focused environmental organization in Northwest Florida . My core responsibilities are mapping artificial reefs using ArcGIS, organizing and correcting spatial data, analyzing reef conditions and deployment history, and helping to tell the story of our reef projects using  StoryMaps . On top of this, I will be helping out with other projects that other Marine Resource Division interns will be conducting such as plant identification and harmful algal bloom surveys. To earn my academic credit for the GIS Certificate, I will be learning and building upon my current GIS knowledge, getting around 130 hours of active GIS work done. I will also be completing some assignments and projects required from my internship like creating a final internship report and present...