Satellite study records 2,060 vessel detections in three Cyprus marine protected areas

Latsi, Cyprus. Satellite observations by Periopsis recorded 2,060 vessel detections in the marine protected areas of Cape Greco, Lady’s Mile and Latsi-Akamas during the summers of 2024 and 2025. The research laboratory raised concerns about potential damage to local biodiversity and marine life.

Risks to protected habitats

Periopsis said the areas protect ecologically valuable coastal habitats, including Posidonia oceanica meadows. These seagrass meadows provide important nursery and feeding grounds for marine species, support biodiversity and contribute to coastal protection and carbon sequestration.

The laboratory warned that increased activity was putting the slow-growing seagrass at particular risk, as damage caused within seconds could persist for several decades.

Satellite observations and tracking gaps

The analysis used an AI vessel-detection system based on visible satellite imagery to identify vessels at sea. It compared those detections with data from the automatic identification system (AIS), through which vessels share information about their identity and journey.

Of the 2,060 detections, 1,114 — about 54 per cent — had no matching AIS signal in the available data. Periopsis said this revealed a substantial visibility gap between vessels observable from space and those appearing in conventional tracking systems, highlighting the importance of remote sensing in such surveys.

The satellite snapshots do not reconstruct complete vessel journeys, but they reveal repeated vessel presence and indicate where activity is concentrated.

The laboratory said the analysis relied on a satellite passing once a day, meaning the actual number of vessel detections could be considerably higher than 2,060.

Findings by area

Latsi-Akamas was the most frequently visited of the three marine protected areas, recording 1,026 detections, including 738 without an AIS match.

Cape Greco recorded 746 detections, of which 308 were unmatched. Lady’s Mile recorded 288 detections, including 74 without a matching AIS signal.

Periopsis said unmatched detections could reflect legitimate tourism, recreational boating or other uses. However, it warned that they could also indicate unreported or potentially illegal activity at sea, including fishing, the transportation of goods or other activities.