GrassrootsMapping
Grassroots Coral Mapping Sumatra
Crispen Wilson of Konservasi.org is looking for help/collaborators with a coral reef mapping problem in North Sumatra. Mapping coral and looking at intertidal zones, he is wondering if Grassroots Mapping techniques could be used to take pictures at lowest and the highest tide during the month.
"We usually have about one hour to take pictures at high tide, then six and half hours later we have an hour to take pictures at low tide, we can do this 3 or 4 days out of the month. "I guess my questions to you are do you have a description of you methods that are a bit more cookbook? and can you see any obvious problems that I might encounter in the application?"
Here is a short video describing Konservasi’s related community-based bathymetry mapping project:
Also see this participatorygis.blogspot.com article on community mapping in Banda Aceh in Indonesia, also by Konservasi.org: Mapping the Sea - Improving Livelihoods
Quote:
In 2005, when the Tsunami hit Banda Aceh in Indonesia, it killed many of the elderly fishermen. Much of the traditional knowledge about the waters surrounding Banda Aceh was lost with them. Traditionally this precious knowledge was transferred from generation to generation. In the post-Tsunami vacuum, this community-led initiative was able to retrieve and document some of that endangered knowledge.
This video documents the efforts done in one community, where traditional authorities coordinated the mapping of the coastal waters including the sea floor. So far 460 km of coastline have been mapped including previously unmapped features like four seamounts, four geologic faults and eighteen coral areas. In addition to the physical data, the community documented key biodiversity areas including shark nurseries, nesting beaches, spawning grounds. Data will be used to support the development of coastal resources and fisheries management plans.
According to Sumatra Konservasi Alam this project was completed at minimal cost (less than 10% of the cost of a conventional survey) and in less than one year. More information on the initiative is found at http://www.konservasi.org