ALGANAT2000 – Improving the management, monitoring and maintenance of biodiversity in marine protected areas through low-cost automated geospatial techniques for monitoring and mapping intertidal habitats
Pleamar program
Description
The ALGANAT2000 project will be developed on a pilot scale in the intertidal habitat of a Natura 2000 Network site, the Maritime-Terrestrial National Park of the Atlantic Islands of Galicia (PNMTIAG), in order to demonstrate its usefulness as a tool for improving the knowledge, management and monitoring of the abundance and ecological status of macroalgae present in marine protected areas. This project will provide public management bodies with an innovative and low-cost geospatial tool that allows them to monitor marine biodiversity and thus carry out proper management of resources.
Although the Maritime-Terrestrial National Park of the Atlantic Islands of Galicia (PNMTIAG) has detailed information on its habitats and species, obtained through various reports and studies carried out between 2003 and 2014, most of these projects focus on terrestrial habitats, while information on marine habitats is scattered and scarce. The role of marine protected areas is crucial in the development of sustainable fisheries and in the mitigation and adaptation to climate change and associated processes, due to their importance in the provision of various ecosystem services. Therefore, the need arises, on the one hand, to deepen the knowledge of marine habitats and associated biodiversity and, on the other, the convenience of carrying out a spatio-temporal monitoring of the ecological status of protected habitats and species, as well as of marine invasive species that pose a serious threat to this ecosystem.
Macroalgae play a key role in carbon sequestration and provide habitat for numerous marine species, including the larval stages of species of commercial interest. Unfortunately, there are several threats that affect macroalgae, highlighting:
- Overfishing (which causes significant cascading impacts on food webs, the first link of which is made up of primary producers).
- The appearance of invasive species.
- Changes in seawater and air temperature, (especially during heat waves, which negatively affect your physiology).
The Coastal Ecology group of the Department of Ecology and Animal Biology and the Applied Geotechnics group of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Engineering of the University of Vigo are in charge of directing the project ALGANAT2000 with the mission of taking an important step in the knowledge and scientific research on the distribution and ecological status of this marine resource and a key component in the coastal ecosystems of in order to establish measures for the management, recovery and monitoring of macroalgae, in order to contribute to the sustainable management of marine areas protected by fishing activity and maintain marine biodiversity.
ALGANAT2000 intends to bring several technical innovations:
- Reduce the cost of field sampling.
- Global management of the natural area.
- Improvement in the frequency of sampling time.
- Integration of data into geographic information systems.
Line of action:
Marine ecosystemsStatus:
FinalizadoExecution date:
2018End date:
2020General Objective:
To contribute to the sustainable management of marine protected areas with fishing activity and to the monitoring and maintenance of marine biodiversity, through the development of new methodologies that allow the mapping of macroalgae and the evaluation of their physiological and conservation status in intertidal habitats. This project will provide public management bodies with an innovative and low-cost geospatial tool that allows them to monitor marine biodiversity and thus carry out proper management of resources.
Specific objectives:
- To increase scientific and technical knowledge for the management, recovery and monitoring of marine protected areas and maintenance of their biodiversity.
- To develop an automated and innovative geospatial methodology that combines the analysis of satellite imagery and imagery obtained from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for in situ quantification of macroalgae abundance and physiological status.
- Transfer results to the fisheries sector and to public administration bodies in charge of management in order to promote sustainable fishing in marine protected areas.
- Disseminate and communicate the results of the project to society.
ALGANAT2000 intends to bring several technical innovations:
- Reduce the cost of field sampling.
- Global management of the natural area.
- Improvement in the frequency of sampling time.
- Integration of data into geographic information systems.
The coverage and thermal range of eight target species (larger than initially proposed), abundant in the four selected areas between the Island of Faro and Monteagudo, were evaluated: Asparagopsis armata, Bifurcaria bifurcata, Colpomenia peregrina, Cystoseira tamariscifolia, Sacchoriza polyschides, Sargassum muticum, Ulva spp. and Codium spp. The spectral fingerprint of the target species was measured under different humidity and temperature conditions, both in the laboratory and in the field. The classification of the spectral footprint had a 70% success rate, grouping the algae into three large divisions: red, brown and green.
The physiological response of three of the target species to different air and water temperature conditions was evaluated, simulating two climate change scenarios. The results indicate that the main critical factor is the air temperature at low tide.
A classification tool (SIGWEB) was developed, which shows the coverage of macroalgae with the data taken by the multispectral camera on board a drone, a tool available to the public and administration managers. The tool has aroused a lot of interest and, currently, its use is being expanded and data from other projects is being dumped, monitoring the coverage of algae in different parts of Galicia.
In the work of dissemination and transfer, we highlight two workshops aimed at the fishing sector and the administration, in addition to five dissemination events, Likewise, educational material was developed for secondary school students.
ALGANAT2000 – Improving the management, monitoring and maintenance of biodiversity in marine protected areas through low-cost automated geospatial techniques for monitoring and mapping intertidal habitats
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