Spatial Data Scientist
Technology
annie.taylor@tnc.org
As the Spatial Data Scientist for the Oceans team, Annie leads spatial analysis and modeling projects related to ocean ecosystems in California and beyond. She’s currently using satellite imagery analysis to track the health of kelp forests globally, to protect and monitor whales and other marine wildlife, and to tackle the issue of plastic pollution in our oceans. Annie’s work and research combines innovative technology, firsthand ecological knowledge, and community partnerships to both identify and solve our leading environmental challenges.
Before joining The Nature Conservancy, Annie earned her PhD in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management from UC Berkeley. In her doctoral work, she partnered with the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band of California's Central Coast to study how innovative geospatial tools could be applied to Indigenous cultural revitalization and ecological restoration. In their work together, Annie modeled the habitat of culturally important plants, and studied how different types of fire – including cultural fire – are impacting California's coastal grassland ecosystems. Prior to UC Berkeley, Annie worked at Peninsula Open Space Trust where she led geospatial analyses of biodiversity, wildlife connectivity, and public access, among other initiatives. She holds a B.A. in Biology from Middlebury College.
What Annie is working on now:
I’m currently working on a high resolution analysis of agricultural plastic use across California, which is a critical part of our efforts to reduce the amount of plastic ending up in the ocean. This work is the first comprehensive analysis of the extent and total volume of agricultural plastic in the state.