Satellite-derived bathymetry has numerous applications, including enhanced mapping and classification of bathymetric features such as coral reefs and seagrass meadows, as well as use in maritime navigation and coastline infrastructure. Dimitris Poursanidis from the Foundation for Research and Technology in Hellas, with colleagues from the German Aerospace Centre, used Planet’s Dove images […]

With daily imagery over ports and coastlines, one of the most useful potential applications of Planet’s Dove imagery is the detection and classification of maritime vessels. Ship tracking has a vital role in security, but the enormous number of ships at sea at any given time limits the effectiveness of classical, human-powered […]

Seagrass beds are one of the most important ecosystems in the Mediterranean region, supporting an enormous diversity of marine fauna. However, with anthropogenic influences including dredging and modification of shorelines, pollution and other drivers, seagrass ecosystems facing increasing threats. To improve monitoring of seagrass extent, Dimosthenis Tranganos and Peter Reinartz from the […]

In late 2016, Greg Asner, of the Carnegie Institution for Science, led a field survey of the spectacularly diverse Spratly Islands archipelago. The mission combined in-water diving and photography with Planet’s Dove data in order to map coral reefs and assess the damage they face from military base expansion. Greg described the […]

Coral reefs—ecosystems that are both ecologically important and sensitive—are disappearing rapidly due to direct human impacts such as overfishing and pollution. Given the remote and often inaccessible geography of reefs, these critical habitats can be difficult to monitor. Research in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea is helping to change […]