Make this Plankton Map Plz!

Here's how you can make this phytoplankton map inspired by map-legends John Nelson and Greg Fiske using QGIS, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe Premiere!

0:00 Intro

0:03 Globe Builder Plugin in QGIS

0:36 Graticule Symbology

1:04 Creating a QGIS Print Layout

1:13 Raster Symbology

3:33 Automating QGIS Print Layout Export

4:10 Setting up Adobe Illustrator Export Script

4:37 Creating Illustrator Layout

4:47 Illustrator Background Styling

5:22 Creating Globe Atmospheric Effects in Illustrator

6:14 Creating Title, Text Boxes & Legend

7:12 Automating Illustrator Layout Export

7:29 Animating in Adobe Premiere

I made this map as part of the Copernicus Marine Service Data Viz Webinar Series!

Usually after I make a map, it dusts away on my computer or I send it off to a client and I never look at it again. 🐒

For this map, I decided to share my process so others could learn too! I feel like it helps do more justice to the effort I put into creating maps like this, and teaching is something I love to do!

I am almost always terrified of public speaking, but it helped knowing that in the end, this actually isn't about me- it's about you, the viewer, and empowering you to make more maps! That mindset shift keeps me going when I start overthinking the process of creating and sharing- especially because I think the world would be a better place if more people knew how to understand and make great maps.

So, I hope you try it out for yourself- I'd love to see your plankton maps in the wild! ✨