Suchergebnisse

Summarization: The eastern Mediterranean altimeter calibration network (eMACnet) is the result of the expansion of ongoing collaborative efforts in the Aegean area. By 2003 we had established the Gavdos permanent absolute calibration facility, a joint EU, NASA, and the Swiss Federal Government effort. This was further expanded with NASA funding over the past three years to include a second site at Kasteli, Crete, Greece, both of these sites operating with the collaboration and efforts of the local team from the Tech. Univ. of Crete. The two sites at Karave, Gavdos, and Kasteli, Crete are located under the OSTM/JASON-2 ground-tracks (pass 018 and passes 018 and 109 respectively). The Gavdos "Karave" facility is now being relocated to its final and originally intended location, on a new pier, a move that will improve vastly the protection of the facility from heavy winter storms and minimize the need for maintenance. Over the past year our team expanded to include the Nation. Tech. Univ. of Athens (NTUA), the Hellenic Center for Marine Research (HCMR) and the Hellenic Navy Hydrographic Service (HNHS), in an attempt to obtain at a minimal cost data from existing facilities operated by these groups and future sites that are now being deployed. The primary purpose of the extended network is the calibration and validation of altimeter data from current and future altimetric missions. The location of some of our sites though is such that they are also of interest to tsunami warning network operators and we thus intend to provide our observations in real-time from these sites to the European Tsunami Warning System (TWS). Some of the new sites are HCMR open sea buoys that we will collaboratively instrument with additional equipment to allow their data to contribute to the calibration/validation process. In addition to an overview of the project, we will present initial results from the expanded network, covering the tandem flight phase of JASON-1 & -2 based on the latest release of JASON-1 GDRs (C). ; Presented on:

Mapping of ecosystem components (natural and socioeconomic) is a prerequisite for ecosystem-based marine spatial management (EB-MSM). To initiate the process of EB-MSM in the Greek Ionian Sea and the adjacent gulfs, the main relevant ecosystem components were mapped based on existing spatial information and expert judgment. The natural components mapped included habitat types and species targeted for conservation, according to national and European legislation and international agreements. Main human activities/pressures related to fisheries, aquaculture, tourism, and industry were also mapped. In order to assess the quality of data used to map ecosystem components and therefore take into consideration the inherent uncertainty, an assessment of 5 semi-quantitative data indicators based on a pedigree matrix was conducted. Through this qualitative approach we gained information related to the sources, acquisition and verification procedures, statistical properties, and temporal & geographical correlation, along with the collection process quality of the ecosystem components under study. A substantial overlapping between ecological features and human activities was identified, confirming the need for a well-planned approach to marine space management, in order to mitigate conflicts for marine resources and conserve marine ecosystems and their associated goods and services.