The publication of the second edition of the Atlas of Seagrass Meadows of Spain in July 2026 represents a major collective milestone for the understanding of the distribution and status of these ecosystems in our country. This work has been made possible through the collaboration of researchers, public administrations, and institutions that, over recent years, have contributed to improving knowledge of Spanish seagrass meadows.
On the occasion of this publication, the Marine Angiosperm Ecology Group of the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO-CSIC) is organizing the Iberian Symposium on Seagrass Mapping and Monitoring (CARTOGRASS 2026).
CARTOGRASS emerges as a meeting point for researchers, managers, public administrations, companies, and other professionals linked to the mapping, monitoring, and management of seagrass meadows. In addition to officially presenting the new edition of the Atlas, the symposium aims to foster a space for exchanging experiences, knowledge, and innovation regarding the methodologies and technologies that are transforming the study of these ecosystems.
But CARTOGRASS aims to go a step further: to become the starting point for defining common criteria and standards that will allow the production of comparable, robust, and high-quality maps and monitoring programs, capable of feeding future updates of the Atlas.
CARTOGRASS 2026 pursues four major objectives:
Present the new edition of the Atlas of Seagrass Meadows of Spain, showcasing the work carried out in each region and reviewing the current state of knowledge on the distribution of Spanish seagrass meadows.
Bring together national and international specialists to present the latest advances in seagrass mapping and monitoring, including remote sensing, underwater acoustics, LiDAR, autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence, spatial modeling, and other emerging technologies.
Discuss the technical criteria needed to harmonize the acquisition, processing, validation, and integration of new maps and monitoring programs, promoting the comparability of information generated by different institutions and territories.
Foster interaction among researchers, administrations, companies, and environmental managers through round tables and working groups that will continue collaborating beyond the symposium itself.
The main expected outcome of CARTOGRASS 2026 will not be the celebration of a congress alone, but the start of a permanent collaborative process.
The symposium’s technical sessions and round tables will serve to identify recommendations and agree on the foundations for future national standards on seagrass mapping and monitoring. The intention is for this work to continue after the congress through specialized working groups that will develop a technical reference document for the production, validation, and integration of new data.
The ultimate goal is to move toward a Living Atlas: a dynamic tool, continuously updated through the incorporation of new maps and monitoring programs developed by public bodies, universities, research centers, and companies, always under shared methodological criteria that ensure its quality, comparability, and usefulness for research, management, conservation, and restoration of seagrass meadows.
CARTOGRASS 2026 is aimed at researchers, students, environmental managers, public administrations, research organizations, universities, companies, and organizations involved in the mapping, monitoring, conservation, and restoration of seagrass meadows and other marine habitats.
The symposium aims to bring together, for the first time, the entire scientific, technical, and management community related to these ecosystems, to jointly lay the foundations for a new era in the mapping and monitoring of seagrass meadows.