Project overview
Funder: PAPIIT DGAPA-UNAM. Awarded: MEX$809,352.
The project proposes to develop an early warning system for sargassum landings on the coasts of the Mexican Caribbean using citizen science. Sargassum, a algae that proliferates in tropical and subtropical waters, has generated concern on the coasts of the Caribbean Mexican due to the massive landings that have affected the beaches since 2011. These landings have negative impacts on the environment, economy, and health of coastal communities. To address this problem, we seek to develop an early warning system to detect the arrival of sargassum and anticipate the arrivals. The project is based on citizen science, involving the coastal communities in the collection of information. The installation of CoastSnap stations takes place in four localities in Quintana Roo: Puerto Morelos, Cozumel, Akumal and Xcalak. These stations will allow citizens capture photographs of the coast and the sargassum present in the ocean. In addition to the collection of images, dissemination activities will be carried out to raise awareness among the population about the sargassum phenomenon and the importance of its monitoring. To complement the information obtained by the citizen science, low-cost cameras will be installed in Puerto Morelos. These cameras will use algorithms to detect and validate the presence of sargassum. The advantage of these cameras lies in their independence energy thanks to the use of solar panels, which facilitates its location in strategic areas without requiring a complex infrastructure. Likewise, an ADCP (Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler) will be installed in Puerto Morelos to measure environmental parameters such as waves, currents and sea level over the course of a year.
A key step in the project is to validate sargassum analysis algorithms using images of the CoastSnap stations, comparing them with the images validated by the SIRENA system, a system of objective video monitoring existing in Puerto Morelos. This validation will allow reliable results to be obtained and for the identification and quantification of sargassum in the ocean. In addition to image collection, Satellite observations will be used to identify sargassum in the ocean during the monitoring period with citizen participation. In this way, a wide range of environmental data will be available and will be related to the sargassum arrivals detected on the coasts of the Mexican Caribbean.
The final result of the project will be the implementation of an early warning system for the arrival of sargassum for the towns of Puerto Morelos, Cozumel, Akumal and Xcalak. This system will integrate the information collected by CoastSnap stations, low-cost cameras, and satellite observations, along with environmental data measured by the ADCP. The proposal focuses on multiple contributions: dissemination from the knowledge of oceanography and sargassum to coastal communities, the active participation of the population in the monitoring of sargassum, the validation of image analysis algorithms and the generation of a system effective early warning. Through citizen science, it seeks to strengthen the capacity to respond and reduce its impact on the coasts of the Mexican Caribbean, promoting the conservation of the marine environment and the protection of the local economy
The project proposes to develop an early warning system for sargassum landings on the coasts of the Mexican Caribbean using citizen science. Sargassum, a algae that proliferates in tropical and subtropical waters, has generated concern on the coasts of the Caribbean Mexican due to the massive landings that have affected the beaches since 2011. These landings have negative impacts on the environment, economy, and health of coastal communities. To address this problem, we seek to develop an early warning system to detect the arrival of sargassum and anticipate the arrivals. The project is based on citizen science, involving the coastal communities in the collection of information. The installation of CoastSnap stations takes place in four localities in Quintana Roo: Puerto Morelos, Cozumel, Akumal and Xcalak. These stations will allow citizens capture photographs of the coast and the sargassum present in the ocean. In addition to the collection of images, dissemination activities will be carried out to raise awareness among the population about the sargassum phenomenon and the importance of its monitoring. To complement the information obtained by the citizen science, low-cost cameras will be installed in Puerto Morelos. These cameras will use algorithms to detect and validate the presence of sargassum. The advantage of these cameras lies in their independence energy thanks to the use of solar panels, which facilitates its location in strategic areas without requiring a complex infrastructure. Likewise, an ADCP (Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler) will be installed in Puerto Morelos to measure environmental parameters such as waves, currents and sea level over the course of a year.
A key step in the project is to validate sargassum analysis algorithms using images of the CoastSnap stations, comparing them with the images validated by the SIRENA system, a system of objective video monitoring existing in Puerto Morelos. This validation will allow reliable results to be obtained and for the identification and quantification of sargassum in the ocean. In addition to image collection, Satellite observations will be used to identify sargassum in the ocean during the monitoring period with citizen participation. In this way, a wide range of environmental data will be available and will be related to the sargassum arrivals detected on the coasts of the Mexican Caribbean.
The final result of the project will be the implementation of an early warning system for the arrival of sargassum for the towns of Puerto Morelos, Cozumel, Akumal and Xcalak. This system will integrate the information collected by CoastSnap stations, low-cost cameras, and satellite observations, along with environmental data measured by the ADCP. The proposal focuses on multiple contributions: dissemination from the knowledge of oceanography and sargassum to coastal communities, the active participation of the population in the monitoring of sargassum, the validation of image analysis algorithms and the generation of a system effective early warning. Through citizen science, it seeks to strengthen the capacity to respond and reduce its impact on the coasts of the Mexican Caribbean, promoting the conservation of the marine environment and the protection of the local economy
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