[Coral-List] Dive GIS 2010 summer course: 2 seats still available

[frahome at yahoo.com]

Dear all,
This course concerns marine habitat mapping from remotely sensed images and could be of interest to someone on this list. Registration deadline is on 10th of June and there are still 2 seats available.
Kind regards
Francesca Riolo

Overview

The Dive GIS summer course will celebrate its 5th anniversary in 2010! The 5th edition of the course will be held from the 28th of July to the 7th of August in Crotone at the Capo Rizzuto Marine Protected Area.

Enrollment deadline is extended to the 7th of June! Two seats still available.

Dive GIS course is for you if you wish to:

1.Learn state of the art GIS and Remote Sensing methodologies used for marine applications
2.Learn to use the ArcGIS software
3.Become a certified diver
4.Collect scientific data in the field and underwater
5.Identify marine flora and fauna
6.Be passionate about the marine environment and the conservation of its resources
7.Network and socialize in an international environment


The
course, organized by Mappamondo GIS in collaboration with the MPA,
represents a unique training initiative that offers the chance to learn Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing methodologies while becoming
a certified SCUBA diver. Participants learn to use state of the art
technologies and to combine them with passion oriented sport and field
activities in the context of marine environment management and science.
The challenging objective of the organizer is to provide the bases for a multi-skill career.

Participants are introduced to the underwater world through PADI Open Water Diver and specialty courses, to the digital cartography and imaging world
through classes based on training material from ESRI, the world-leader
in the GIS field, and to real case study applications of Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing tools for marine
scientists. The course involves computer lab and field sessions and it
is well suited for people novice to both GIS and diving, as well as for
people that have already some knowledge and skills in both fields but
that wish to gain an additional experience.

During the course,
the participants work on a real case study concerning the mapping of
marine habitats using on-screen visual interpretation, supervised and
unsupervised classification of satellite images and aerial photos.

This
allows identifying and quantifying vulnerable areas with high
environmental value. Students also learn to identify marine flora and
fauna, to collect scientific data about their distribution and to use
handheld GIS and GPS units. Biodiversity and species distribution data are entered in the GIS to study their correlation with the habitat and other biotic and abiotic environmental parameters.

For further information about the course and online registration for the 2010 edition please visit the following website:

www.mappamondogis.it/divegis.htm or write an email to info at mappamondogis.com