Marine Habitat Mapping: Selected Papers from "GeoHab 2021"

Dear Colleagues,

The GeoHab (Marine Geological and Biological Habitat Mapping) community forms an international association of marine scientists studying biophysical (i.e., geologic and oceanographic) indicators of seafloor habitats and ecosystems as proxies for biological communities and species diversity. For 20 years, this community has contributed to the evolution of seafloor mapping technologies and analytical methods.

The aim of this Special Issue of Geosciences is to showcase the work of the GeoHab community in research and investigation of the seafloor, in parallel with the GeoHab 2021 Conference that will be held online in May. The themes of the conference include shelf and deep-sea habitats, coastal and shallow water habitats, new approaches from coast to deep water habitat mapping, the Anthropocene and the effect of human footprint on marine habitats, the role of oceanography in habitat mapping, habitat mapping and climate change, habitat mapping for maritime spatial planning within an ecosystem-based approach, and submerged landscapes and cultural heritage.

Relevant topics for this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, new methods for seafloor mapping, new approaches for characterization and classification of seafloor data, the links between seafloor geomorphology and processes occurring in the surrounding marine environment (water column, sub-surface), marine habitat mapping applications, and any that are relevant to the conference themes listed above. We note, however, that authors do not have to be presenting at the conference to submit manuscripts to this special issue, as long as their manuscript is related to marine habitat mapping. As per the Geosciences guidelines, original research manuscripts, short communications of preliminary but significant results, technical review articles, and submissions reviewing the challenges faced by this thriving field of research are welcomed.

Dr. Fantina Madricardo
Dr. Federica Foglini
Dr. Vincent Lecours
Guest Editors

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