Satellite-derived bathymetry continues to advance and improve rapidly. A recent scientific study has confirmed the effectiveness of a methodology developed to obtain bathymetric data from satellite images in the Western Mediterranean. The results of this research, published in the prestigious International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, reaffirm the value of this tool for monitoring coastal areas with varying turbidity levels and diverse seafloor characteristics. The study was conducted in Cala Millor (Mallorca, Spain), an ecosystem of great significance due to its marine biodiversity but also its potential vulnerability to the effects of global change. The researchers successfully and accurately mapped its coastal seabed using satellite images from the Sentinel-2 twin satellites. This study represents the first attempt to test this methodology in an area with the presence of Posidonia oceanica, an endemic Mediterranean aquatic plant with significant ecological value. This work has been carried out through a collaboration between researchers from the Institute of Marine Sciences of Andalusia (ICMAN-CSIC), the Coastal Observation System of the Balearic Islands (ICTS-SOCIB), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the United States.
