Seagrass meadows, which serve as critical marine ecosystems, have map more accurately using satellite-tagged green turtles compare to conventional satellite imagery, as per a study publish in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
These underwater habitats are vital for biodiversity, carbon storage, and stabilising seabeds.
But, their mapping has remaine a challenge due to technological limitations.
The research was conduct in the Red Sea, an area with limit seagrass data, as report by marine ecologists from the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST).
The study involve the tagging of 53 green turtles (Chelonia mydas) on Saudi Arabian beaches in the Red Sea.
Led by Dr. Hugo Mann, marine ecologist at KAUST, the researchers equip the turtles with satellite transmitters after their nesting cycles to avoid disruptions.
The devices transmit location data whenever the turtles surface for air, revealing consistent movement patterns over specific sites.
These areas were identified as seagrass meadows, with 34 previously unrecord patches being discover.
Validation efforts confirm seagrass in all visit locations identified by turtles, while only 40% of sites flag by the Allen Coral Atlas, a remote sensing tool, were verified.
As said by Carlos Duarte, a senior marine ecologist at KAUST, the findings highlight the limitations of existing mapping techniques for underwater habitats.
Seagrass meadows contribute significantly to carbon sequestration, storing up to 4 teragrams of carbon, the study estimate.
Dr. Hugo Mann emphasise the necessity of identifying these ecosystems to enhance conservation strategies.
Seagrass is increasingly threaten by human activities, making accurate mapping crucial for its protection.
Dr. Jennifer Dijkstra, a marine ecologist at the University of New Hampshire, said in the study’s findings that animal tracking can improve artificial intelligence-based mapping, offering a potential global solution for resource-constraine regions.
The researchers hope the method will lead to large-scale surveys, aiding efforts to conserve both seagrass habitats and the green turtles that depend on them.
