Seagrass maps to be released soon

Seagrass observation at the sandbank area at the Suva Harbour

The first set of seagrass maps for Fiji will be released soon through the Digital Earth Pacific platform.

Still on its preliminary stages, the maps will undergo further ground-truthing to provide better accuracy.

To further boost the accuracy of this maps, Pacific Community (SPC) convened a workshop last month to provide inputs to the expected final product.

A significant step from the discussion is the adjustment of machine learning. SPC plans to continue refining the machine learning model, producing increasingly accurate maps, which will be validated using ground data gathered by the Secretariat of the Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).

These final extent maps will be used to calculate carbon stocks and carbon stock change for seagrass ecosystems benefitting Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands.

This collaborative effort marks a significant step forward in understanding and preserving seagrass ecosystems, ensuring the conservation and sustainable management of coastal environments in the Pacific region.

The Earth Observation team at SPC has in the past conducted several field data collection campaigns across Fiji and partner countries to validate seagrass and mangrove extents on the ground.

A total of 14 participants from MACBLUE project partners and the Pacific Women in Geospatial Network attended the workshop.