Data Analyst Internship with the Wrigley Institute

Susan T., Spring 2024

Hello! My name is Susan, and I’m a junior majoring in Environmental Studies with a minor in GIS and Sustainability Science. This semester, I interned with the Wrigley Institute working on the San Pedro Ocean Time Series (SPOT). SPOT began in 1998 and collects oceanographic data, both real time and water samples, in the San Pedro Channel between Los Angeles and Catalina Island. The data is currently accessible to be viewed and downloaded on its website.  

Part of my work is to upload the cast sheets and update the SPOT data log from the cruises which occur every month. I have also created a SPOT data portal tutorial, both a recording and written instructions. Through this internship I have had the opportunity to explore Python through creating time series and vertical profile plots with data from SPOT and from NOAA buoys. In doing so, I have also been able to identify and compile a list of glitches and useful additions to the data portal that can later be addressed. Overall, this internship has given me the opportunity to develop Python knowledge through tasks relevant to the environmental field and to better understand how a data resource is managed, updated, and supports scientific research.