” Monitoring marine environments is vital for understanding ecosystem resilience, especially with rising human impacts and natural disturbances. The Suez Canal, opened in 1869, allowed non-native species to migrate from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean, significantly changing marine ecosystems.

This study aims to establish a baseline and assess the transformation of Israel’s coasts before further non-native species spread. Key objectives include mapping submerged rocky ecosystems, conducting benthic surveys, and evaluating non-native species. Using Structure from Motion (SfM) photogrammetry and a BlueROV2 robotic platform with advanced mapping tools, the study will provide detailed spatial data. This research will support conservation efforts and promote sustainable marine ecosystem management”.

About me:

Bar is a postdoc at the MEDs (Marine Ecosystem Dynamics) lab, Bar-Ilan, specialized in palaeo-ecology of coral reefs. In har PhD she established a geological and historical records of shallow coral reefs in the Gulf of Eilat/Aqaba by radiocarbon dating, reconstructing the coral species distribution throughout the Holocene and reconstructing their chemical and isotopic composition to differentiate between anthropogenic and natural climatic effects.

RECEIVED MEDITERRANEAN SEA SCHOLARSHIP for 2024