With the aim of developing capabilities in remote sensing of algae, between April 3 and 5 the first meeting and course in Spanish for macroalgae mappers will be held in Punta Arenas.
In the event, which is aimed at Ibero-American students, professionals and researchers in both face-to-face and virtual modes, the theoretical bases and the most up-to-date technical skills in the field of floating macroalgae mapping will be addressed, in addition to collecting scientific experiences and applications developed in the world.
The meeting is sponsored by the Seremi de Ciencias Macrozona Austral, the Seremi de Medio Ambiente de Magallanes, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Mas Kelp Foundation, the Patagonia Azul Foundation, the Institute of Marine and Limnological Sciences of the Austral University of Chile (UACh), the Por El Mar Foundation and the Dynamic Research Center for High Latitude Marine Ecosystems (IDEAL).
Alejandra Mora, Chilean marine geographer and one of the organizers of this event, maintains that “interest in macroalgae has grown tremendously in recent years, which has included a demand to learn about mapping and monitoring techniques for different uses, from conservation, local and regional carbon estimates to sustainable crop management. However, there is a linguistic barrier that perhaps prevents several Latin American colleagues from attending the meetings in English that take place in the United States and Canada.”
Regarding how this initiative came about, Mora, who is the creator of the first world map of underwater macroalgae forests, states that together with different colleagues “we thought it would be interesting to expand towards a Latin American audience, including a course for those who want to learn about the use of satellite and drone images to be able to map kelp forests, and in the process get to know each other, talk about the existing techniques and scientific gaps, and perhaps generate future plans.”
The training also considers the presentation of case studies; the use of drones and image processing; the study of the huero or Macrocystis pyrifera as a bioindicator and object of conservation; and the use of scientific methodology for underwater sampling of forest-forming macroalgae, among several of the program’s contents.
“We plan to hold this meeting in Punta Arenas because we know that the Magellanic macroalgae forests are one of the least altered ecosystems on the planet, largely because the sea temperature in this region has remained relatively constant in recent decades. This ecosystem is the nursery and protection of many species, several of commercial interest, and they have been linked to indigenous coastal peoples since time immemorial, so these underwater forests deserve to be highlighted for their scientific importance at a global level,” says the scientist.
The researcher adds that “with this work of systematically mapping macroalgae forests we are supporting the development of science and technology that contributes to the quality of marine and human life.”
Among the speakers of the first meeting of mappers are Alejandra Mora and Romina Barbosa from the University of Victoria, Canada; Mauricio Palacios from the IDEAL Center; Nur Arafeh-Dalmau and Carolina Olguín from Stanford University, United States; Cristian Lagger from the Institute of Animal Diversity and Ecology (IDEA), Argentina; Nelson Valdivia and Eliseo Fica from the UACh; and Eduardo Guajardo from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.
The course will be supported by the UACh and will provide credits to undergraduate and graduate students who attend. Those interested should contact us until Friday, March 8 at kelpmap2024@gmail.com.
