Testing and Evaluating the Efficiency of Low-cost Methods in Seagrass Mapping.

Title:
Testing and Evaluating the Efficiency of Low-cost Methods in Seagrass Mapping.

Authors:
V. Buchet , M. Panagiotou , M. Drakulic , K. Ribeiro De Moraes , A. Miliou , J. van den Berg and C. Cox

Abstract:
The health and conservation of seagrass is irrefutably of great importance to the health of marine biodiversity. Its distribution is in a steady decline and there is a lack of studies and gaps which exist in cheap, easy and effective methods. Therefore, we aim to test and evaluate the efficiency of kayak-based surveys on the distribution of Posidonia oceanica. In conclusion, the most sufficient method to map the seagrass is to use a Go-Pro and Lowrance Elite-4 sonar on a two-person kayak.

Keywords: Posidonia, Mapping, Instruments and techniques, Aegean Sea