Welcome to the Osa Peninsula in Costa
Rica one of the most biodiverse places
on the planet. Here Osa Conservation a
grassroots nonprofit works to preserve
these delicate ecosystems which are
threatened by deforestation agriculture
and urbanization. These land use changes
have increased pollutant runoff into
local rivers that empty into the Gulf. In
response they have extended their work
to cover the adjacent Gulfo Dulce
which contains coral reefs that are
highly sensitive to changes in water
quality. Because of these fluctuations
live coral cover has decreased this
ecosystem plays a vital role in
providing shoreline protection habitat
and food security.
Osa Conservation currently uses field
monitoring to observe river and coral
reef health in the Gulfo Dulce. But we
lack resources to survey all watersheds
and the entire gulf. Remote sensing helps
to solidify this ongoing research by
locating suitable sites for coral reef
and repairing restoration.
Osa Conservation partnered with NASA
DEVELOP to assess the effects of
land-use change on river and gulf
turbidity using NASA Earth observations.
The team analyzed fluctuations and
turbidity levels and sea surface
temperature to assess site viability for
potential coral restoration. The team
then produced a restoration suitability
map based on these fluctuations over the
last three years using Google Earth
engine. Long-term turbidity changes were
also analyzed over the last 30 years
ocean conservation will use these maps
along with analyses from past DEVELOP
terms to analyze the relationships
between land use changes river turbidity
and gulf water characteristics. Equipped
with remote sensing that will improve
and enhance their current decision
making processes continuing their work
to conserve vital local ecosystems from
canopy to coral.
