Rugulopteryx okamurae is a highly invasive macroalgal species that has rapidly expanded across the southern Iberian Peninsula since its first detection in 2015, causing severe ecological, economic, and social impacts. Massive beachcast events have disrupted coastal ecosystems, fisheries, aquaculture, and tourism, yet no coordinated monitoring system currently exists to assess invasion trends or cumulative impacts.
The RugOBSS project addresses this critical gap by developing a remote-sensing-based monitoring system to detect and quantify beachcast biomass from space. Combining field observations, satellite imagery, machine learning, and cloud computing, the project aims to deliver an open-access, operational tool to support science-based coastal management.
- Create the first open database of R. okamurae beachcast presence, biomass, and spatial cover
- Develop and validate a satellite-based detection model using Sentinel-2 imagery
- Build a user-friendly, web-based platform for data visualisation and access
- Analyse ten years of spatio-temporal invasion trends and cumulative impacts
- An open, FAIR-compliant database integrating field observations and historical records
- A scalable machine-learning model for detecting invasive macroalgal beachcasts from space
- A web-based monitoring platform for scientists, managers, and policymakers
- A regional assessment of invasion dynamics and cumulative coastal impacts
RugOBSS provides a novel, scalable solution to monitor invasive macroalgae and translate Earth observation science into actionable coastal management tools. The project supports evidence-based decision-making on biomass removal, impact assessment, and economic compensation, while offering a transferable framework applicable to other invaded regions. It also strengthens early-career leadership, interdisciplinary collaboration, and science–policy interfaces within EuroMarine and the OYSTER network.
UBO, IFREMER, IRD, UCT - Ma-Re