The Northwest Pacific Action Plan (NOWPAP) introduced their eutrophication assessment and seagrass mapping tools in the 9th Geo for Good Summit held virtually on 20-21 October 2020.
Dr. Genki Terauchi, Senior Researcher from the NOWPAP’s Special Monitoring and Coastal Environmental Assessment Regional Activity Center (CEARAC) presented the NOWPAP Eutrophication Assessment Tool (NEAT) in a video clip "Geo for Good Highlights 2020".
NOWPAP and NPEC are developing a near real-time monitoring system for marine coastal eutrophication. The tool uses the GEE under the Group on Earth Observations and the GEE Programme, trying to apply the NOWPAP Eutrophication Assessment method in other parts of the world with state-of-the-art ocean color remote sensing sensors.
Dr. Terauchi, and Dr. Eligio de Raús Maúre from the Northwest Pacific Region Environmental Cooperation Center (NPEC), the host organization of CEARAC have demonstrated a cloud-based seagrass mapping tool "Seagrass Mapper" using Google Earth Engine (GEE) at the meeting well. The tool was developed based on recommendations of the feasibility study towards the assessment of seagrass distribution in the NOWPAP region in 2017.
Using the Seagrass Mapper, CEARAC is planning to implement several case studies on estimating seagrass blue carbon in selected sea areas in the NOWPAP region in the 2020-2021 biennium. It is expected that this tool will enable near real-time monitoring of seagrass distribution in the near future in the Northwest Pacific region.
As CEARAC is mandated to develop tools for monitoring and assessment of marine and coastal environments using remote sensing techniques, staff members of CEARAC have been participating in this summit since 2016 to catch up with new developments in the field.
