Marine habitat mapping provides a holistic representation of ecologicallyrelevant marine habitats, their associated biological communities, areal extent, distribution patterns, status, and physical conditions. The mesophotic zone, part of the water column with dim light conditions, can host a diverse mosaic of benthic habitats, hotspots of biodiversity.
However, the mesophotic domain depends on light conditions that vary considerably depending on geographical location. Satellite and remote sensing data can be used to map the extension and distribution of the mesophotic zone, providing information to support the conservation and management of the biodiversity the zone hosts. Integrating and processing satellite/remote sensing data, however, can be challenging in terms of data mining, data accessibility and computational resources. This was one of the main challenges of the project.
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