QGIS PROJECT

What is QGIS?

A geographic Information System (GIS) is a spatial system that creates, manages, analyses, and maps all types of data. A conceptualized framework that provides the ability to capture and analyse spatial and geographic data.

"This sounds awesome, let's see what we can do with it!"

Great Dolphin of the Sea

Survey Area of the Station

This map is fundamental for the station as it defines the boat survey and land survey area of DMAD. All Croatian waters have been removed from the map even If a lot of dolphin sightings were done on Croatian waters. This map has been approved by the supervisor Aylin Akkaya, to be implemented in the small scientific publication. To determine the boat study area I created a polygonal vector layer, joining the furthest dolphin sighted point. I verified this sighting with the history of the boat path recorded by the captain’s GPS. It was a fastidious job but in the end, I am very happy about this map. I learned a lot by doing it. My final presentation skills have improved a lot through the project, I am really enjoying working with qGIS.

"Hey! How does this guy know exactly where I go?"

Great Dolphin of the Sea

Density Map based on Boat Surveys

This map is of great relevance for the professional practice report as it summarizes 4 years of boat survey data into one density map or also called a heat map. I very much enjoyed discovering how to do a heat map in qGIS. It is very informative. It allows us to easily find where are the hot spots of Bottlenose dolphins along the Montenegrin coast. Although interesting there is a better way to assess the regions where dolphins have the most chance to be spotted, it is called a heat map based on dolphin path and not point. I am currently realizing three of these maps. Unfortunately, the report submission deadline will not allow me to add them to the website.

"Pff! We are way more than that!"

Great Dolphin of the Sea

Doing this heat map has been very enriching and satisfying at the same time. It is a great representation of my learning curve with the qGIS software.

Density Map based on Land Surveys

This map is very similar to the previous one, however here are represented the Dolphin sighted during land surveys. It is very interesting to compare both maps. As you can observe the majority of the sightings are located all along the coast, in front of the 9 survey stations that DMAD possesses. It is important to realize that a lack of dolphin sightings on scientific paper does not always mean that there are no dolphins in that area. Most of the time it corresponds to a lack of survey effort in the area.

This heat map was very interesting to make. It was a confirmation exercise to see if I understood well the process of making a density map with the boat survey. I learned a lot through the making of these two maps and I hope I will be able to do more in the future.

"Oh... I see I see, my bad."

Great Dolphin of the Sea

Map of the Platumini MPA

This map is fundamental for the station as it defines the boat survey area of DMAD. All Croatian waters have been removed from the map even If a lot of dolphin sightings were done on Croatian waters. This map has been approved by the supervisor Aylin Akkaya, to be implemented in the small scientific publication. To determine the boat study area I created a polygonal vector layer, joining the furthest dolphin sighted point. I verified this sighting with the history of the boat path recorded by the captain’s GPS. It was a fastidious job but in the end, I am very happy about this map. I learned a lot by doing it. My final presentation skills have improved a lot through the project, I am really enjoying working with qGIS.

Never the less this map is actually not finished. I wish to combine it with a density map based on the path of dolphins (not point). When finish this map could be of great importance and relevance for the station. I sincerely hope it will be used in a scientific publication as a way of alerting the government and local population of the scarce protection this MPA provide to the marine mammals of Montenegro.

"Is that what I think it is?!!"

Great Dolphin of the Sea