The new tool I have chosen for my research is the 'point to raster' function. This tool converts point data into a raster format, where each cell in the raster grid represents a value from the point data. Additionally, the cellsize can be specified according to the resolution needs of a given project. This tool is particularly useful for large-scale spatial analysis of finer point data across a study area.
My research aims to investigate the distribution of human-induced strandings of the California Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus) along the west coast of the United States from 2017-2018. Using data from the National Marine Mammal Stranding Database, California Sea Lion stranding point data were uploaded into ArcGISPro [version 3.1]. Using the 'point to raster' tool and specifying a cell size of 0.25, a the stranding data was transformed into a raster format layer. This layer illustrates the 'hotspots' of strandings, categorized into low, medium, and high levels.