The Natural Geography in Shore Areas (NaGISA) project will document latitudinal and longitudinal biodiversity gradients in near-shore habitats and how they change over time. By 2010, NaGISA collaborators will complete an equatorial longitudinal gradient from the east coast of Africa to the Palmyra Atoll, and a pole-to-pole latitudinal transect from the northern coast of Alaska to Antarctica’s McMurdo Sound. NaGISA has developed a low-tech protocol to survey marine life in the intertidal and shallow subtidal areas that can be adopted by many research groups and countries, and encourage local community involvement. The NaGISA project has several regional centers that coordinate global nearshore coverage. The sampling protocol, currently applied to macroalgal and seagrass habitats, can be adapted for other near-shore habitats. The ultimate goal is a series of well-distributed standard transects from the high intertidal zone to 20 meters water depth around the world, which can be repeated over a 50-year or even greater time frame. Shore areas are important nursery grounds for various fish and crustacean species and are mostly impacted by human activities. Worldwide participation is needed to obtain a full picture of how biodiversity varies and is affected globally.
For more information, including a list of regional centers and contacts, visit the NaGISA NaGISA website.