Our Role from Land to Sea - and How I Make it Look Good

Inspired by scientific illustrations from textbooks, I first established a view perspective that would be the base of my drawing. The perspective goal: to show a cross sectional view of the ocean as well as a bird's-eye view from above.

Next, I began by drawing the seafloor and a base for all the landscape elements yet to come. As a whole, an important element of this illustration is to show the connection between the land and the sea. One of the best ways to show the land to sea connection is through the movement of water.

Water moves between land and sea as rain falls on mountains and creeks carry the water to rivers that flow into the ocean. Tides move back and forth and deep in the ocean, cold, nutrient-rich water upwells replacing shallower water above. Much like a photographer captures texture, light and color, this illustration required attention to detail to capture simplicity and reality. Building up the landscape and capturing the flow and mixing of water sets the stage for showing important habitats where The Nature Conservancy is working.

Knowing my team wanted more than just another water cycle diagram,  I added ecosystems in order to illustrate how the water-land interaction affects the life where we live. As freshwater rushes in streams to salty water in the ocean it mixes in estuaries which are important habitats for shorebirds, seagrass, shellfish, and which are vital for fish and other species like crabs and insects. Well-managed forests in the upper watershed limit sediment runoff improving water quality and flow.

The land-to-sea landscape is home to species such as oysters, whales and salmon. It is also where shipping, fishing and recreation occur and where communities live. Highlighted in the illustration are The Nature Conservancy’s highest priorities for conserving the marine environment: oil spill prevention, sustainable fishing practices, estuarine restoration, clean water and sustainable forestry. The final design shows how The Nature Conservancy is working to protect our oceans from land to sea in order to sustain diverse marine habitats, abundant fisheries and coastal economies and cultures.

Written and Created by Erica Simek Sloniker, GIS & Visual Communications Specialist

How many times have you heard the saying “a picture is worth a thousand words”?

Scientific research can back this up and has shown that humans process visual information much more rapidly than pure text. It is no surprise then that infographics that combine art with science are helping present data and scientific concepts in memorable and easy to understand ways.

I make maps and illustrations for The Nature Conservancy. Let me introduce you to my most recent creation, an illustration about The Nature Conservancy’s marine conservation goals. In this slideshow, I will take you step-by-step through the artistic and conceptual decisions made in its creation in order to leave you with a better understanding of the drivers behind our marine conservation program.

Find out how this infographic was made in the interactive slideshow above!

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