Water Monitoring

Data visualization techniques are used to display current and historical water quality indicators and predict trends in key water parameters across a large area. Visualizing these parameters, along with the associated analyses, enables informed decision-making on water quality for the public, such as determining whether the water is safe for swimming, guiding nature conservation policies on whether any changes are necessary, and influencing local property values, as good water quality often leads to higher property values.

The analysis integrates synthetic data generation and visualization to interpret large, complex, and multifaceted ecological datasets. This project aims to provide an intuitive, data-driven tool for public awareness, environmental protection, and policy-making, ensuring that water quality information is both actionable and transparent.

You have likely figured it out — this site is in the making. Please check back regularly to watch as I build it bit by bit.

Introduction

Florida's Gulf Coast is one of the most breathtaking and idyllic regions in the world. Its shoreline is defined by white sandy beaches, warm waters, palm trees, and vast mangrove forests. The central and southern sections, stretching from Marco Island to Clearwater Beach, are particularly renowned for their wide, endless beaches with fine, powdery sand. It's no surprise that some of the most stunning beachfront mansions can be found here.

This paradise comes with its own challenges. Devastating hurricanes make insuring these valuable properties a daunting task. Residents and tourists yet face another, often invisible threat—the very waters they admire so much. Pollutants such as heavy metals, red tide events, and harmful algal blooms (HABs) pose a persistent and growing risk to Florida’s tranquil Gulf Coast.

This fictitious project monitors the water quality of Florida's scenic Gulf Coast. The collected data is presented through interactive dashboards and detailed reports published online, providing the public with a clear overview of current water conditions as well as in-depth insights into trends and patterns.

Scenario (fictitious)

In the wake of the devastating phosphate mine leak and sewage spill of 2023, Florida’s Gulf Coast faced an environmental emergency. Toxic algal blooms spread rapidly, and pollution levels spiked, putting millions of residents and visitors at risk. Public concern soared. The state needed answers - fast.

Recognizing the urgency, Florida’s Department of Public Health took decisive action, launching a specialized agency: the Office for Ocean Pollution and Spills, or OOPS. Its mission? To track and mitigate waterborne health hazards before they turned into full-blown disasters. But to do that, they needed real-time data.

ScyllaWorks, a cutting-edge oceanic engineering firm tasked with designing and deploying water quality monitoring stations. Seven key locations were chosen, stretching from Clearwater Beach to Sanibel Island. These stations would monitor and record crucial data on pollution, harmful algal blooms, and other environmental threats.

As Chief Data Analyst, I had a critical role to play. Raw data alone wouldn’t be enough - we needed to make it meaningful. I developed interactive dashboards and reports that transformed complex water quality metrics into clear insights. My goal was to empower communities, environmental groups, and policymakers with real-time information so they could take swift, data-driven action.

Scope

Through a comprehensive requirements analysis involving key stakeholders - including public health officials, environmental agencies, and community representatives - we identified the following core requirements for the development of interactive dashboards and reports.

Technology and Platform

Dashboard Features

Report Functionality

Each parameter's historical report will include

Disclaimer

The ficticious ScyllaWorks website has been created using Large Language Models (LLMs) showcasing the ability AI has to offer. For transparency, LLMs and prompts used to generate the content can be acessed below.

Data

Water quality data are readily accessible online, with many sources offering free use. However, complying with the policies set by data owners can be challenging, as these policies can change over time. For this project, it was essential to share both the original data and its derivatives. To ensure compliance with current and future data policies and to avoid potential violations, I opted to use synthetically generated data.
The Python script used for data generation is provided below and is set up to ensure reproducibility. This means that every time the script is run, the same synthetic data will be produced.

Data Analysis

Workflow

Results

Residents can now check the water quality of their favorite beaches before heading out. Even better, they can subscripe to alerts that warn them from unsafe water quality without checking each time they're heading to the beach. Conservationists use the data to drive pollution mitigation efforts. State agencies utilize the insights to develop proactive policies, ensuring a healthier future for Florida’s coastlines.
From crisis to control, this was more than just a technological challenge - it was a mission to protect the waters that millions call home. And with data as our guide, we turned uncertainty into informed action.

Potential Display Issues

In this publicly published dashboard, you may experience certain inconveniences: