![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/studentwork.prattsi.org\/infovis\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/05\/Food-Web-prey.png?resize=840%2C840&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nThe first network that I put together shows each node\u2019s size relative to their prevalence as a food source for other creatures. The color and size of the nodes correlate to its in-degree. The edges are colored according to their 0-1 decimal value which indicates the portion of the source node\u2019s diet. Darker edges convey more consumption of the target node species. I feel that this network is pretty intuitive and effective in highlighting the biggest food sources for the given areas, or the species that are eaten by the most amount of others. This network overall spotlights the critters that uphold the food web and are the beginning points of the local food chains.<\/p>\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/studentwork.prattsi.org\/infovis\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/05\/Food-Web-predator.png?resize=840%2C840&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nThis second network does the same job as the first one, but opposite. Here the color and size of the nodes correlate to its out-degree, and the edges stay the same color because they are only attributed to the connection itself which doesn\u2019t change. This network highlights the major predators, or the species that eat the most widespread diet. I wanted to see a different view of the species included in the study and found that looking at both networks sets a clear scene of the food chain in these waters, which I thought was useful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Studies like these are important for understanding an ecosystem as a whole and having this information to diagnose issues. Unsustainable fishing practices and expansion of agricultural lands are factors that we can\u2019t stop as the demand for food is ever-increasing, and these are the factors that directly impact submarine food chains. I can see that a farming practice or chemical that impacts Phytoplankton could very well decimate the food system, as Zooplankton are almost entirely dependent on it and go on to feed the rest of the chain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I wanted to use this data as an example of the kinds of networks we need to be paying attention to within conservation work. This particular site was designated as a wetland of international importance, called a Ramsar site, in 2004. It is unique in having seagrasses as the primary source of energy whereas other local Mexican lagoons rely heavily on detritus. Coastal lagoons are very dynamic environments and therefore have a highly resilient ecosystem, rooted in its complexity. I think that these networks could have better organized nodes in order to look less random and make the hierarchies at play more pronounced. I would love to add some kind of temporal data to compare changes, and in other formats I would include things like temperature and other environmental factors of the greater region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n