The partners in this blue economy project promoting coastal and marine sustainability in island regions are collaborating on the island of Fuerteventura to develop and validate new coastal sampling methods adapted to the characteristics of the Canary Islands archipelago, with significant participation from companies specialising in the use of drones for environmental data acquisition.
The coasts of the Canary Island of Fuerteventura are hosting the first trials developed by the ECOMARIS project to evaluate the use of drones as an advanced coastal sampling tool, in a fieldwork campaign taking place between 5 and 9 February. During these days, the project partners are testing different sensors carried on unmanned aerial vehicles to improve the detection and mapping of habitats and species on the Canary Islands coastline, adapting the methodologies to the environmental and geomorphological conditions of the islands.
This campaign is part of the project's activities aimed at increasing the availability and quality of spatial data on marine habitats through integrated approaches using innovative methodologies. Specifically, the work combines biological information obtained in the field with data captured by drones, in order to improve the physiographic and ecological characterisation of the coastal environment and lay the foundations for its application in other island territories.
On the left, Tony Gallardo Campos, managing director of the Fuerteventura Biosphere Reserve; in the centre, Alejandro Moreno and Carlota González, from the elittoral research team; and on the right, Isidoro Quintero, from Tecnofly.
The “ECOMARIS: Blue Economy and Promotion of Coastal and Marine Sustainability in Islands” project involves all the island regions included in the INTERREG MAC 2021-2027 Programme cooperation area: the Canary Islands (Spain), the Azores (Portugal), Madeira (Portugal), Cape Verde, and São Tomé and Príncipe. Led by the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), through the ECOAQUA University Institute, the project's main objective is to address the strategic needs for the sustainable development of the blue economy in the participating island territories, promoting the management of the coastal and marine environment with an ecosystem approach.
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Isidoro Quintero from Tecnofly finalising the supervision of the drone before flight.
Among the specific objectives of ECOMARIS are the application of advanced technologies to increase the quantity and quality of spatial data on the coastal and marine environment; the development of decision-making support systems; and, in particular, the promotion of Ocean Culture, in line with the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science, whose slogan is “The science we need for the ocean we want”.
The project is coordinated by Ricardo Haroun Tabraue, director of the ECOAQUA University Institute at the ULPGC.
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The drone in full flight during the evaluation trial of this tool for obtaining coastal samples.
Training and knowledge transfer
In the coming months, the ECOMARIS project will develop training activities aimed at transferring the knowledge and methodologies applied in the project, including a training workshop on the use of drones for acquiring environmental information in the coastal environment. The workshop will be aimed primarily at companies, technical personnel and public administrations, with the aim of strengthening capacities in the use of advanced technologies and promoting their practical application in the management, research and development of activities related to the coastal and marine environment in the participating territories
Partners participating in the Fuerteventura campaign: public-private partnership
Participating companies:
Tecnofly Canarias, S.L
Tecnofly Canarias, S.L., Tecnofly Canarias, S.L., a Canary Islands company specialising in professional drone operations, is responsible for planning and executing flights during the ECOMARIS campaign in Fuerteventura. To this end, it uses high-performance aircraft such as the DJI Matrice 350, a robust and versatile drone for demanding technical missions, and the DJI Matrice 400, an advanced platform with great stability and extended payload capacity.
During the campaign, Tecnofly operates drones equipped with various remote sensing sensors, including high-definition RGB cameras, which provide clear images for detailed analysis; multispectral sensors (Dual 10 channels), capable of capturing specific bands to characterise vegetation and substrates; and hyperspectral sensors, which record precise spectral signatures to differentiate materials and species. The company also carries out scheduled flights with a drone equipped with a LiDAR sensor, used to generate high-resolution topographic models, and participates in in situ intertidal sampling, integrating field data with that obtained by remote sensors.
Monitoring in one of the four sectors of the Fuerteventura coast, where multispectral and conventional cameras equipped on drones have been used.
elittoral Coastal and Oceanographic Engineering Studies SLN
elittoral Coastal and Oceanographic Engineering Studies SLNE, a Canary Islands SME specialising in environmental consulting and marine data collection, is participating in the assessment of the feasibility of detecting and mapping intertidal species—such as limpets and mussels—and subtidal habitats such as seagrass beds and rocky reefs. Its work allows the data obtained by remote sensors to be verified and validated, in close coordination with research staff from the ECOAQUA University Institute of the ULPGC.
In addition, elittoral incorporates the development of artificial intelligence algorithms aimed at the detailed identification of target species and high-resolution mapping of their distributions. This integration of AI techniques with field and remote sensing data significantly improves the accuracy and efficiency of the characterisation of the coastal ecosystems studied.
Public and research entities
Cabildo of Fuerteventura – Biosphere Reserve
The Cabildo of Fuerteventura, through the Department of Tourism, Blue Economy and Biosphere Reserve, participates as a partner in the project, contributing local knowledge and logistical support for the development of the campaign. The Fuerteventura Biosphere Reserve facilitates access and supports the planning of fieldwork in the sampling areas, contributing to the correct adaptation of methodologies.
Detalle de la costa majorera donde se han probado los drones.
Instituto Universitario ECOAQUA – Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
El Instituto Universitario ECOAQUA de la Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC) coordina el proyecto ECOMARIS y participa en esta campaña mediante tareas de coordinación general y la aportación de metodologías de muestreo en el intermareal. La campaña se desarrolla en estrecha cooperación transnacional con la Agência Regional para o Desenvolvimento da Investigação, Tecnologia e Inovação (ARDITI) de Madeira, contribuyendo a asegurar la coherencia metodológica de los trabajos de adquisición y análisis de datos entre los distintos archipiélagos participantes.