Mind the gap in data poor Natura 2000 sites and how to tackle them using Earth Observation and scientific diving surveys

Abstract

Charismatic species drives decisions for the conservation of marine areas in the view of the coverage of the Natura 2000 sites in the European Union and other forms of Marine Protected Areas in Europe. However, when used solely, critical seascapes and habitats are systematically ignored and practically it can take decades to fulfill baseline needs on habitats distributions, habitats conservation status and species distributions and biodiversity assessments. Luckily, in the last decade, the use of new technologies in conjunction with scientific diving and budget friendly hydroacoustic tools and applications, has allowed to fill the gap in knowledge in such situations and seascapes. The current work demonstrates the use of Earth Observation and Science Dive to fill the gap of knowledge in a newly established Natura 2000 area in Crete, Greece, East Mediterranean, paving the road for replicable approaches in similar situations.