Illegal Otter Seizures in Asia
Working with Wild Otters, this map displays the illegal otter seizures of the four otter species found in Asia.
The Tardigrade
Recent trends for our planet and its many species have been bleak. Oceans are being overfished and are filled with plastic, we are losing about 20 million acres of forests each year, and many species are being traded towards extinction.
In times like these, even the resilient insects are taking a toll. Tardigrades - also known as water bears and moss piglets - are the toughest animals on earth, being able to survive some of the most extreme environments, including vacuum! They represent a sense of hope in the face of the biodiversity crisis.
The Tardigrade is a platform that explores various groups of organisms and tells their stories based on scientific facts in a visually pleasing way, incorporating data visualizations and scientific illustrations. The purpose is to inspire people by exposing the diversity in nature, to raise awareness for these organisms before it is too late, to let people know how they can contribute in the face of the biodiversity crisis.
Motivation
One million species are at risk of extinction
We have been losing biodiversity at a fast rate over the past 50 years, and it will likely take millions of years for Earth to recover from this Biodiversity Crisis.
Even insects, which are organisms we usually think of as resilient, are being negatively affected on a large scale. One study showed that 40 percent of insect species are in decline, known as the Insect Apocalypse.
Illegal Wildlife Trade is decimating species
The world is dealing with an unprecedented spike in illegal wildlife trade. With the advent of the Internet opening up new doors for trade.
Over 1 million pangolins have been poached over the past decade, over 70 millions sharks are killed a year for their fins, and African Gray Parrots are being decimated in the wild due to the pet trade.
Ecosystem Collapse
Deforestation is occurring at an unprecedented rate due to conversion to agriculture such as palm oil and soy, or for other purposes such as logging and mining. Forests are essential for mitigating global warming and are homes to many species.
The oceans are in an even more dire situation, with 60% of fisheries fully-fished and 33% overfished. Some shark populations have declined over 90% over the past decades. Plastic is killing 100000 marine mammals and turtles and 1 million seabirds annually.
Recent Projects
Bat Fact Wheel
The bat fact wheel displays all the bat species grouped by family, with facts displayed on each family!
Parrot Plights: The Pet Trade & Habitat Loss
Parrots include some of the most charismatic animals. They are beautiful, social, colorful and smart. This, unfortunately, has lead to their demise, as many people desire to keep them as pets.
The illegal parrot trade is one of the main forces driving many parrot populations towards extinction, and it has made parrots the most threatened birds in the world. Moreover, this practice is cruel on many levels and causes much suffering.
How many parrot species are there? Which ones are traded? What species are the most endangered? What are their major threats? Read on to learn all about parrots.
Visualizing Shark Numbers
How many species of sharks do you know? How deep below the surface do you think sharks can be found? How small is the smallest shark?
Sharks are incredibly diverse, with over 510 species of them. Unfortunately, sharks are being killed by the millions! Every year, roughly 100 million sharks are caught and killed by humans, mostly as a result of bycatch and shark finning.
Learn more about different shark species, their behavior, their diversity, the major threats they are facing and what you can do to help.
Who we are
Julia Janicki
Data Visualization Designer / Developer, Conservation Biologist / Entomologist, Cartographer
Jacki Whisenant
Scientific Illustrator, Entomologist, Artist
Sylvia Janicki
Landscape Architect, Designer
Gwen Whitney
Sailing Captain, Artist
Julia does the research, data acquisition, and design & development of data visualizations and interactive stories. Jacki creates awesome scientific illustrations. Sylvia and Gwen help with social media and various design needs for differnet projects and the website.
Contact Us
We would be happy to collaborate! If you are interested in doing research, data acquisition / cleaning / analysis, data visualization design & development, journalism, illustration / art, feel free to reach out and maybe we can make something cool together.