The aim of the H2020 EOMORES project was to develop user-relevant and sustainable commercial down... more The aim of the H2020 EOMORES project was to develop user-relevant and sustainable commercial downstream services for operational inland and coastal water quality monitoring and reporting. This service has now been developed based on a combination of satellite Earth Observation (EO), in situ and modelling components, with user feedback guiding product and service development throughout. Validation is a key part of the operational service development, in order to ensure the users can be confident in the service provided. Thus, this deliverable presents all validation results, using data collected during the three years of the EOMORES project (2017-2019) to validate the final service products (T5.1). Additionally, this deliverable evaluates the product fitness for purpose (T5.2) and the service functionalities and user satisfaction (T5.3). <br> Overall, the EOMORES service products indicated good performance according to the quantitative uncertainty metrics. EO product validation...
Submerged macrophytes are essential elements of sublittoral ecosystems to maintain a diverse fish... more Submerged macrophytes are essential elements of sublittoral ecosystems to maintain a diverse fish fauna. The aim of this study was to assess juvenile fish associated with macrophyte habitats in the Curonian Lagoon by means of modified pop net method. We focused on two dominant littoral habitats with different structure (pondweed and charophyte stands). The pop nets sampling was carried out on two study sites located in the freshwater and oligohaline part of the lagoon in July and September 2019-2020. Our upgraded pop nets reduced the risk of under sampling and are recommended for monitoring fishes since this method has relatively low disturbance on fish behavior and on the habitat itself. The most efficient time of sampling with pop nets in shallow macrophyte habitats is at night, where at least 4 samples collected are sufficient to represent the biggest part (> 70%) of the fish assemblage, but the sampling covering different times of day is recommended. In total, 14 juvenile spe...
The frequency of heatwave events in Europe is increasing as a result of climate change. This can ... more The frequency of heatwave events in Europe is increasing as a result of climate change. This can have implications for the water quality and ecological functioning of aquatic systems. We deployed three spectroradiometer WISPstations at three sites in Europe (Italy, Estonia, and Lithuania/Russia) to measure chlorophyll-a at high frequency. A heatwave in July 2019 occurred with record daily maximum temperatures over 40 °C in parts of Europe. The effects of the resulting storm that ended the heatwave were more discernable than the heatwave itself. Following the storm, chlorophyll-a concentrations increased markedly in two of the lakes and remained high for the duration of the summer while at one site concentrations increased linearly. Heatwaves and subsequent storms appeared to play an important role in structuring the phenology of the primary producers, with wider implications for lake functioning. Chlorophyll-a peaked in early September, after which a wind event dissipated concentrat...
The frequency of heatwave events in Europe is increasing as a result of climate change. This can ... more The frequency of heatwave events in Europe is increasing as a result of climate change. This can have implications for the water quality and ecological functioning of aquatic systems. We deployed three spectroradiometer WISPstations at three sites in Europe (Italy, Estonia, and Lithuania/Russia) to measure chlorophyll-a at high frequency. A heatwave in July 2019 occurred with record daily maximum temperatures over 40 °C in parts of Europe. The effects of the resulting storm that ended the heatwave were more discernable than the heatwave itself. Following the storm, chlorophyll-a concentrations increased markedly in two of the lakes and remained high for the duration of the summer while at one site concentrations increased linearly. Heatwaves and subsequent storms appeared to play an important role in structuring the phenology of the primary producers, with wider implications for lake functioning. Chlorophyll-a peaked in early September, after which a wind event dissipated concentrat...
A temporally and spatially detailed historical (1985-2018) analysis of cyanobacteria blooms was p... more A temporally and spatially detailed historical (1985-2018) analysis of cyanobacteria blooms was performed in the Curonian Lagoon (Lithuania, Russia), the largest coastal lagoon in the Baltic Sea. Satellite data allowed the mapping of cyanobacteria surface accumulations, so-called "scums", and of chlorophyll-a concentration. The 34-year time series shows a tendency towards later occurrence (October-November) of the cyanobacteria scum presence, whereas the period of its onset (June-July) remains relatively constant. The periods when scums are present, "hot moments", have been consistently increasing in duration since 2008. The differences in the starting, ending and annual duration of cyanobacteria blooms have been significantly altered by hydro-meteorological conditions (river discharge, water temperature, and wind conditions) and their year-round patterns. The most important environmental factors that determined the temporal changes of the scum presence and area were the standing stock of cyanobacteria and the ambient wind conditions. The "hotspots", the areas where the blooms most likely occur, were distributed in the south-southwestern and central parts of the lagoon. The least affected areas were the northern part, which is connected to the coastal waters of the Baltic Sea, and the Nemunas River delta region. The longstanding, well-established spatial patterns of cyanobacteria blooms were linked to hydrodynamic features, namely water renewal time and current patterns, and to potential nutrient sources that included muddy sediments and the locations of colonies of piscivorous birds. Our findings confirmed that the annual and seasonal variations of cyanobacteria blooms and their regulation are a complex issue due to interactions between multiple factors over spatially and temporally broad scales. Despite great progress in the prevention and control of eutrophication and cyanobacteria blooms, the lagoon is still considered to be in a poor ecological status. This work provides a new and missing understanding on the spatial and temporal extent of cyanobacteria blooms and the factors that govern them. Such an understanding can help in planning management strategies, forecasting the magnitude and severity of blooms under changing nutrient loads and potential climate scenarios.
Abstract Ecosystem complexity is among the important drivers of biodiversity and ecosystem functi... more Abstract Ecosystem complexity is among the important drivers of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, and unmanned aerial systems (UASs) are becoming an important tool for characterizing vegetation patterns and processes. The variety of UASs applications is immense, and so are the procedures to process UASs data described in the literature. Optimizing the workflow is still a matter of discussion. Here, we present a comprehensive synthesis aiming to identify common rules that shape workflows applied in UAS-based studies facing complexity in ecosystems. Analysing the studies, we found similarities irrespective of the ecosystem, according to the character of the property addressed, such as species composition (biodiversity), ecosystem structure (stand volume/complexity), plant status (phenology and stress levels), and dynamics (disturbances and regeneration). We propose a general framework allowing to design UAS-based vegetation surveys according to its purpose and the component of ecosystem complexity addressed. We support the framework by detailed schemes as well as examples of best practices of UAS studies covering each of the vegetation properties (i.e. composition, structure, status and dynamics) and related applications. For an efficient UAS survey, the following points are crucial: knowledge of the phenomenon, choice of platform, sensor, resolution (temporal, spatial and spectral), model and classification algorithm according to the phenomenon, as well as careful interpretation of the results. The simpler the procedure, the more robust, repeatable, applicable and cost effective it is. Therefore, the proper design can minimize the efforts while maximizing the quality of the results.
The aim of the H2020 EOMORES project was to develop user-relevant and sustainable commercial down... more The aim of the H2020 EOMORES project was to develop user-relevant and sustainable commercial downstream services for operational inland and coastal water quality monitoring and reporting. This service has now been developed based on a combination of satellite Earth Observation (EO), in situ and modelling components, with user feedback guiding product and service development throughout. Validation is a key part of the operational service development, in order to ensure the users can be confident in the service provided. Thus, this deliverable presents all validation results, using data collected during the three years of the EOMORES project (2017-2019) to validate the final service products (T5.1). Additionally, this deliverable evaluates the product fitness for purpose (T5.2) and the service functionalities and user satisfaction (T5.3). <br> Overall, the EOMORES service products indicated good performance according to the quantitative uncertainty metrics. EO product validation...
Submerged macrophytes are essential elements of sublittoral ecosystems to maintain a diverse fish... more Submerged macrophytes are essential elements of sublittoral ecosystems to maintain a diverse fish fauna. The aim of this study was to assess juvenile fish associated with macrophyte habitats in the Curonian Lagoon by means of modified pop net method. We focused on two dominant littoral habitats with different structure (pondweed and charophyte stands). The pop nets sampling was carried out on two study sites located in the freshwater and oligohaline part of the lagoon in July and September 2019-2020. Our upgraded pop nets reduced the risk of under sampling and are recommended for monitoring fishes since this method has relatively low disturbance on fish behavior and on the habitat itself. The most efficient time of sampling with pop nets in shallow macrophyte habitats is at night, where at least 4 samples collected are sufficient to represent the biggest part (> 70%) of the fish assemblage, but the sampling covering different times of day is recommended. In total, 14 juvenile spe...
The frequency of heatwave events in Europe is increasing as a result of climate change. This can ... more The frequency of heatwave events in Europe is increasing as a result of climate change. This can have implications for the water quality and ecological functioning of aquatic systems. We deployed three spectroradiometer WISPstations at three sites in Europe (Italy, Estonia, and Lithuania/Russia) to measure chlorophyll-a at high frequency. A heatwave in July 2019 occurred with record daily maximum temperatures over 40 °C in parts of Europe. The effects of the resulting storm that ended the heatwave were more discernable than the heatwave itself. Following the storm, chlorophyll-a concentrations increased markedly in two of the lakes and remained high for the duration of the summer while at one site concentrations increased linearly. Heatwaves and subsequent storms appeared to play an important role in structuring the phenology of the primary producers, with wider implications for lake functioning. Chlorophyll-a peaked in early September, after which a wind event dissipated concentrat...
The frequency of heatwave events in Europe is increasing as a result of climate change. This can ... more The frequency of heatwave events in Europe is increasing as a result of climate change. This can have implications for the water quality and ecological functioning of aquatic systems. We deployed three spectroradiometer WISPstations at three sites in Europe (Italy, Estonia, and Lithuania/Russia) to measure chlorophyll-a at high frequency. A heatwave in July 2019 occurred with record daily maximum temperatures over 40 °C in parts of Europe. The effects of the resulting storm that ended the heatwave were more discernable than the heatwave itself. Following the storm, chlorophyll-a concentrations increased markedly in two of the lakes and remained high for the duration of the summer while at one site concentrations increased linearly. Heatwaves and subsequent storms appeared to play an important role in structuring the phenology of the primary producers, with wider implications for lake functioning. Chlorophyll-a peaked in early September, after which a wind event dissipated concentrat...
A temporally and spatially detailed historical (1985-2018) analysis of cyanobacteria blooms was p... more A temporally and spatially detailed historical (1985-2018) analysis of cyanobacteria blooms was performed in the Curonian Lagoon (Lithuania, Russia), the largest coastal lagoon in the Baltic Sea. Satellite data allowed the mapping of cyanobacteria surface accumulations, so-called "scums", and of chlorophyll-a concentration. The 34-year time series shows a tendency towards later occurrence (October-November) of the cyanobacteria scum presence, whereas the period of its onset (June-July) remains relatively constant. The periods when scums are present, "hot moments", have been consistently increasing in duration since 2008. The differences in the starting, ending and annual duration of cyanobacteria blooms have been significantly altered by hydro-meteorological conditions (river discharge, water temperature, and wind conditions) and their year-round patterns. The most important environmental factors that determined the temporal changes of the scum presence and area were the standing stock of cyanobacteria and the ambient wind conditions. The "hotspots", the areas where the blooms most likely occur, were distributed in the south-southwestern and central parts of the lagoon. The least affected areas were the northern part, which is connected to the coastal waters of the Baltic Sea, and the Nemunas River delta region. The longstanding, well-established spatial patterns of cyanobacteria blooms were linked to hydrodynamic features, namely water renewal time and current patterns, and to potential nutrient sources that included muddy sediments and the locations of colonies of piscivorous birds. Our findings confirmed that the annual and seasonal variations of cyanobacteria blooms and their regulation are a complex issue due to interactions between multiple factors over spatially and temporally broad scales. Despite great progress in the prevention and control of eutrophication and cyanobacteria blooms, the lagoon is still considered to be in a poor ecological status. This work provides a new and missing understanding on the spatial and temporal extent of cyanobacteria blooms and the factors that govern them. Such an understanding can help in planning management strategies, forecasting the magnitude and severity of blooms under changing nutrient loads and potential climate scenarios.
Abstract Ecosystem complexity is among the important drivers of biodiversity and ecosystem functi... more Abstract Ecosystem complexity is among the important drivers of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, and unmanned aerial systems (UASs) are becoming an important tool for characterizing vegetation patterns and processes. The variety of UASs applications is immense, and so are the procedures to process UASs data described in the literature. Optimizing the workflow is still a matter of discussion. Here, we present a comprehensive synthesis aiming to identify common rules that shape workflows applied in UAS-based studies facing complexity in ecosystems. Analysing the studies, we found similarities irrespective of the ecosystem, according to the character of the property addressed, such as species composition (biodiversity), ecosystem structure (stand volume/complexity), plant status (phenology and stress levels), and dynamics (disturbances and regeneration). We propose a general framework allowing to design UAS-based vegetation surveys according to its purpose and the component of ecosystem complexity addressed. We support the framework by detailed schemes as well as examples of best practices of UAS studies covering each of the vegetation properties (i.e. composition, structure, status and dynamics) and related applications. For an efficient UAS survey, the following points are crucial: knowledge of the phenomenon, choice of platform, sensor, resolution (temporal, spatial and spectral), model and classification algorithm according to the phenomenon, as well as careful interpretation of the results. The simpler the procedure, the more robust, repeatable, applicable and cost effective it is. Therefore, the proper design can minimize the efforts while maximizing the quality of the results.
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Papers by Edvinas Tiškus