Monitoring holopelagic Sargassum spp. along the Mexican Caribbean coast: understanding and addressing user requirements for satellite remote sensing

• DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2023.1166000
• Publication Date: 2023-05-24T05:46:41Z
• Authors: Betsabé de la Bar...; Sarah E. Metcalfe; Geoff Smith; Sofie Sjögersten; Doreen S. Boyd; Sergio Cerdeira-E...; Pablo López-Ramírez; Adolfo Magaldi; Rainer Ressl; Susana Perera-Val...; Hansel Caballero-...; Oscar S. Siordia; Jonathan Couldridge; Paul Gray; Rodolfo Silva; Brigitta I. Van T...; Edgar Escalante‐M...; Giles Foody
• Keywords: Sargassum; Coastal Management

Massive influxes of holopelagic Sargassum spp. ( natans and S. fluitans ) have been causing major economic, environmental ecological problems along the Caribbean coast Mexico. Predicting arrival sargassum as an aid to addressing these is a priority for government, coastal communities society; both mitigating impacts providing opportunities its use. Lack data concerning precise locations times beachings means that public private funds are being spent inefficiently most actions reactive. The dynamic nature beachings/influxes render conventional ground-based monitoring insufficient. Earth observation cloud-based processing services offer tools track, quantify understand beaching remotely in frequent, systematic reliable manner with temporal spatial resolutions required management. In order find right solutions address this problem, paper needs requirements stakeholders taken into consideration development observation-based service monitor Mexican coast. Routine over large area will be cost effective help mitigate negative effects influxes. combination imagery from Planet, specifically their SuperDove systems provide daily at 3 m resolutions, freely available EU Copernicus would useful many different potential users. A prototype presented, based on main user requirements. system enable organizations allocate resources appropriately affected areas quickly efficiently, thereby minimizing social enhancing resilience local communities. It also assist industry collection fresh algae onward processing. could easily implemented similar types Greater beyond.