Storing Knowledge to Build Knowledge

USC Sea Grant recently launched a new, searchable publications database that houses citations for all our peer-reviewed research publications, technical reports, education publications, and dissertations. Currently, the database houses mostly those publications since the digital era began, but there are some dating back to the 1970s. The project is ongoing, and more publications will be added as they become digitally accessible. 

To build this database, USC Sea Grant Communications worked closely with Daisy Zhang, a second-year student in the M.S. program in Environmental Data Science at USC. Daisy first learned about USC Sea Grant in her Environmental Risk Analysis class last spring, when Associate Professor Monalisa Chatterjee invited USC Sea Grant’s Coastal Resilience Specialist, Dane Lazarus, to give a guest lecture on coastal resilience in the face of rising seas. 

Daisy’s skill set was perfect for USC Sea Grant’s database project. USC’s Environmental Data Science degree program helps students learn to apply data science to complex environmental issues, ranging from many topics such as climate change, water and air pollution, policy analysis, terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem management, and biodiversity. Before coming to USC, Daisy earned her B.S. in Ecological Management and Restoration at the University of California, Davis. Her coursework focused on plant science, conservation ecology, and environmental analysis, which helped her build both field and analytical skills for studying ecological systems. 

Daisy applied to USC’s master’s program because she thought it was an exciting and innovative program, integrating data analysis with environmental applications. “I really enjoy the program’s cross-disciplinary nature,” says Daisy. “I’m not only learning about environmental science but also gaining new skills in areas like environmental risk analysis and geospatial science. At the master’s level, we go beyond theory and learn how these tools are applied in real-world situations, making the learning experience very meaningful.”

In addition to her technical skills and extreme attention to detail, Daisy had to become familiar with the breadth of USC Sea Grant’s research, outreach, and education topics over many decades. “Through the publication database project, I’ve explored so many great studies on topics such as marine fish, DDT, sand dunes, and community engagement,” says Daisy. “It’s been eye-opening to see how many topics connect with Sea Grant. I’ve also learned a lot about Sea Grant’s four strategic focus areas and the effort that goes into advancing coastal and marine research.”

This gained knowledge has also helped Daisy assist our program in preparing specific publications that qualify for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) national library, which requires submitted documents to be publicly accessible.  

Daisy is still interning for USC Sea Grant as we continue to track down additional publications and their publicly accessible digital versions. “Through this experience, I’ve realized I’m especially interested in marine and coastal research and would love to continue working in that field after graduation,” says Daisy. After graduation, she hopes to find a position related to environmental or marine science where she can apply the data science and GIS skills she’s learned at USC to help analyze and solve environmental problems.

“Interning here has not only been a great professional experience but also a supportive learning environment,” says Daisy. “Through this project, I’ve gained a deeper appreciation for the work USC Sea Grant does to support healthy, resilient marine ecosystems.”