Using GIS and Remote Sensing for Conservation

We (Emma, Casey, and Luciana) have now been working on the GIS Team at Archipelagos for the past eight weeks, allowing for the opportunity to work on many interesting projects. We all arrived around the same time at Archipelagos and it has been very beneficial to collaborate and exchange ideas and knowledge when tackling new

GIS Mapping as a Key Tool in Marine Conservation

Inge joined the Archipelagos GIS team in April 2019 for a research internship to complete her Master’s degree in Geographical Information Management and Application at the University of Utrecht, in the Netherlands. She uses spatial data and geo-information as a key tool in providing answers to complex issues concerning the conservation of our environment, since

Seagrass mapping in the Aegean Sea

The last half year, the GIS-team was working out a method for seagrass mapping. Global seagrass meadows are under threat. Reduction of water clarity, climate change and dredging destroy meadows at an incredible speed of 1.5% a year. The mapping of the Greek seagrass meadows, especially the specie Posidonia Oceanica, remains behind and counteracts conservation

Posidonia Oceanica Mapping in the Southeastern Aegean Sea

Posidonia oceanica meadows are one of the most valuable ecosystems of the Mediterranean Sea. Climate change, fishing activities and anthropogenic influences threaten the survival of these meadows. Since the 20th century, 30% of the seagrass meadows have disappeared. Therefore, there is an increasingly pressing need to map the current extent of the seagrass cover. The

Μapping of Posidonia oceanica using a Drone

Posidonia oceanica is an endemic seagrass species in the Mediterranean Sea. It has a key ecological role and many impacts on its ecosystem. Its role in fisheries production and in sediment stabilization are well-known. In fact, seagrass meadows provide habitats for a number of threatened species. However, throughout the Mediterranean these meadows are declining at

Mapping Seagrass Meadows With Specially Equipped Kayaks

The GIS (Geographic Information Systems) team of Archipelagos Institute is spread out over Samos and Lipsi islands. They work in collaboration with other teams to create tools that facilitate better research, field work and communication of data. This means that GIS projects encompass smaller, more supportive tasks in addition to their own major projects. The

Posidonia oceanica Mapping

Posidonia oceanica is an aquatic flowering plant endemic to the Mediterranean, instrumental in providing habitats and nursery grounds to a diverse array of species in the area. Although the seagrass is imperative to ecosystem health, conservation efforts have not mirrored this: Posidonia oceanica’s status is only listed as “least concern” in the IUCN Red List

Distribution Model for Common Dolphins near the Island of Samos

The aim of this project is to develop a species distribution model (SDM) for common dolphins which takes into account dynamic environmental factors such as sea surface temperature, salinity and chlorophyll. SDMs take occurrence or abundance data about certain species and extrapolate this data in space and time using a statistical model. In the case of