Analysis of Web Page Function and Design
Michael Sheets
Desiree Trujillo
Dr. Jim Bonner
Dr. Cheryl Page
Shoreline Environmental Research Facility
Department of Civil Engineering
Texas A&M University
Coastal regions have always been vitally important areas.
More specifically, the Gulf coast holds essential economic and ecological value
for vast surrounding areas. Tourism and trade from ports is essential to
coastal and inland cities and the range and wealth of life offered in coastal
estuaries is unparalleled in the aquatic environment. Therefore, evaluating
human and natural impacts on coastal regions is highly important. The research
group at the Shoreline Environmental Research Facility (SERF) has deployed
real-time insitu sensors in the Corpus Christi Bay area to monitor a number of
scientific and industrial parameters in real time. Parameters measured range
from wind direction, current flow, and temperature readings to dissolved oxygen,
salinity, and petroleum concentrations. This data can be used to track oil
spills or algal blooms in real time, ship channel conditions can be relayed to
ship’s captains, and detailed overall changes in coastal conditions can be
tracked for long periods. Comprehensive and real time monitoring of the Gulf
coast won’t reach its full utility if the data cannot be quickly and easily
accessed by researchers, natural resource managers, and the public. A web
interface has been chosen as the preferred method of interaction. At the time
of the beginning of the internship a web page prototype was nearing completion.
Research into problems encountered and additional coding tasks helped speed the
prototype’s delivery. Additional assistance towards that goal was rendered via
maps of the web page, its files and associated scripts and database calls. This
graphical layout of the page allowed code bugs to be tracked easier. Nearing
the end of the prototype rollout, a study on the effectiveness of the interface
was carried out revealing suggestions for change in the web page’s layout.
Analysis showed that major changes to the interface were not required. Changes
to be made were compiled for later consideration.
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