Qualifications & Publications

Allison R. Bailey, Principal, Sound GIS

View a list of publications.

EXPERTISE

Over 15 years experience using GIS and remote sensing for natural resource management. I am trained as a biologist and have applied this expertise and associated analytical skills to numerous projects.

PHILOSOPHY

A defining characteristic of my approach to GIS is to use appropriate and scientifically valid tools and techniques for each problem, and to avoid allowing the tools to dictate or limit the questions that can be asked.

EXPERIENCE

Principal, Sound GIS

Founded a GIS consulting firm which provides a full range of GIS services, including spatial analysis, data and database development, programming, scientific support, documentation, and mapping. Provide all technical and project management expertise. Clients include NOAA, Washington Department of Natural Resources, Washington Department of Ecology, The Nature Conservancy, Environmental Defense Fund, and various environmental consulting firms. Projects include

• Open Source Web-Mapping Support for Oil Spill Response and Restoration (NOAA)
• Change Analysis of Puget Sound's Nearshore Ecosystem (Corps of Engineers/Anchor Environmental)
• Marine Protected Area Gap Analysis (TNC)
• Puget Sound Eelgrass User Needs Assessment and Geodatabase Development (WDNR)
• Oil Spill Response Atlas, Puget Sound and Strait of Juan de Fuca (NOAA/CTC)
• Groundfish Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) (NOAA)

Senior GIS Analyst and Programmer
TerraLogic GIS

Contributed expertise in spatial analysis, cartography, data conversion, and database development and analysis. Expanded client base in marine and coastal GIS. Frequently served as technical lead for projects, including marketing, project scoping, client interaction, task management, delegation, and budget tracking.

Project experience included GIS programming and data development to support hydraulic and hydrologic modeling; synthesizing disparate GIS data sets (raster, vector, ASCII, database, and other formats) into consistent relational databases and geodatabases; conducting spatial analyses of fisheries habitat, shoreline impacts, and other projects; automating cartography using AML/Arcplot and VBA within ArcMap.

GIS Analyst
NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service

As the sole GIS expert, supported a division of more than 20 scientists and analysts.

Devised a novel geographic analysis to quantify linear extent of kelp bed habitats. Created and maintained relational databases and GIS for fisheries surveys. Automated data conversion, database development, and cartography using AML, Perl, VB, and Avenue. Produced a map series of essential fish habitat for 84 species.

Natural Resource Scientist (1991–1998)
Technician (1990-1991)
Washington State Department of Natural Resources

Recommended and conducted cost-effective methods to inventory nearshore habitats in Puget Sound using aircraft remote sensing, GIS, GPS, and field surveys. Developed a GIS-compatible relational database to store and analyze field data for the inventory. Performed spatial and statistical analyses of inventory data. Documented and presented results to general and technical audiences.

Research Assistant
College of Marine Studies, University of Delaware

Completed research project to monitor an invasive plant species using remote sensing and GIS: “Detecting and monitoring Phragmites invasion of coastal wetlands: a comparison of remote sensing techniques.”

Research Assistant
Dr. David Duggins and Dr. Megan Dethier, Friday Harbor Laboratories

Undergraduate research assistant to Dr. David Duggins and Dr. Megan Dethier, supporting subtidal kelp and intertidal ecology research projects. Logged 75 hours SCUBA dive time.

Participant
Carleton College Marine Biology Program at Friday Harbor Laboratories

Emphasis on field work and independent research. Learned subtidal and intertidal research methods. Logged 25 hours SCUBA dive time

EDUCATION

• M.S. Marine Studies/Remote Sensing and GIS, University of Delaware, 1998
• B.A. Biology, cum laude, Carleton College, Northfield, MN, 1988
• Post-Graduate coursework in Python, Perl, JavaScript, spatial statistics, R, PostGIS, SQL, Java, ArcObjects