ProyectoSub
Investigation

Monitoring marine biodiversity on rocky coasts

Within the framework of the international MBON Pole to Pole project, we monitor the biodiversity of the rocky intertidal environments of the Argentine coast.

Within the framework of the international MBON Pole to Pole project, researchers and conservation agents from across the continent work together to implement standardized marine biodiversity monitoring protocols. In Argentina, ProyectoSub actively participates in this network, contributing to the monitoring of rocky intertidal habitats in Marine Protected Areas and other key areas of the Atlantic coast.

This effort seeks to generate comparable data over time and across the continent, integrating field science, artificial intelligence, and open digital platforms.

Why is it important to monitor?

Rocky coasts host biological communities sensitive to environmental changes. Systematically recording its biodiversity makes it possible to detect early transformations, whether due to climate change, human impacts or natural processes. The information obtained feeds global data networks (such as OBIS) and contributes directly to decision-making for marine conservation.

What do we do at ProyectoSub?

Since 2023, ProyectoSub has collaborated with CONICET, the National Parks Administration and other institutions in the implementation of the MBON protocol in various locations on the Argentine coast. Through training, workshops and field trips, we participated in the design and implementation of this non-invasive monitoring tool, based on photo-quadrants and automated analysis of benthic images.

We also coordinate the local logistics of the project's regional workshops, including the 2025 edition of the V MBON Marine Biodiversity Workshop, held in Puerto Madryn, Península Valdés and Estancia San Lorenzo.

Where do we do it?

Monitoring is carried out in representative sites of rocky environments along the Argentine coast, inside and outside National Parks: Peninsula Valdés (Punta Norte and Puerto Pirámides), ANP Punta Tombo, Islote Lobos, Monte León and Tierra del Fuego (Ushuaia, Karukinka Reserve).

These sites join a network of more than 15 active points in Argentina, Chile and Uruguay.

Training for monitoring in Patagonia

Institutions and networks