Technician (IEO-CSIC)
My research aims at narrowing the gap between optical remote sensing and applied marine ecology by developing novel techniques to map underwater ecosystems, with a special focus on macroalgal forests and seagrass meadows. I use a multiscale approach, combining 3D underwater models and photogrammetry with drone and satellite data. I explore different automatic classification strategies, to go from raw imagery to ecosystem distribution maps, always emphasizing the importance of accurate field observations and ecological knowledge to validate artificial intelligence outcomes. The resulting cartographies are used to analyze underwater landscapes, infer ecological status and find early indicators of ecosystem collapses.
Contact: f.garcia@ieo.csic.es