Interactive Visualization for Coastal Science Communication: A Case Study of Grayland Plains

Abstract

Scientific data are indispensable for guiding climate-crisis decisions, yet the underlying information is often too complex for policymakers or the public to grasp without skilled mediation. Effective visualization can translate those complexities into persuasive, evidence-based narratives. Landscape architecture, with its foundation in aesthetic design, environmental science, and community engagement, can act as an intermediary at the science-policy interface. Coupled with emerging web technologies, it can deliver dynamic, spatial–temporal views of environmental change that resonate far beyond specialist circles.This thesis explores coastal-science communication through a landscape-architecture lens, employing an interactive, web-based medium. Drawing on visualization theory, it proposes a three-stage visualization framework: Define—Develop—Refine. This framework guides an iterative production process that includes defining the visualization audience and goal, obtaining data and exploring efficient tools, developing web-based interactive visualization and evaluating through interviewing audience representatives. The theoretical framework is applied to a case study on coastal research in the Grayland Plains on the Pacific coast of Washington state, demonstrating how visualization strategies can enhance the communication of complex coastal processes. The resulting prototype, an interactive 3D web visualization can be viewed at: https://little-x.github.io/visCRLC/. The thesis generates new insights for landscape architects to communicate coastal science with novel tools, fostering a deeper connection between scientific research and public understanding.