Marta Konik
Postdoctoral Fellow in Geography, University of Victoria
PhD Natural Sciences, The Institute of Oceanology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Sopot, PL
MSc Oceanography, Marine Physics, The University of Gdansk, PL
BSc Physical Oceanography, The University of Gdansk, PL
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I have a background in physical oceanography and remote sensing. I am particularly interested in the relationships between seawater properties and biological and physical processes in the ocean, which I observe using various satellite sensors. I have used optical imagery to analyze ocean colour and phytoplankton composition, as well as active microwave sensors to describe the sea surface and identify oil spills. My PhD research focused on the near-surface cyanobacteria blooms in the Baltic Sea, and characterizing their impact not only on the ocean colour, but also on the sea surface temperature and roughness observed with several types of satellite sensors.
During my postdoctoral research, I will apply my knowledge to map kelp beds with optical and SAR imagery (Synthetic Aperture Radar). Such a synergistic approach will provide more frequent information on the kelp bed extent since the SAR measurements are less sensitive to clouds. More detailed information on the seasonal kelp bed changes will help characterize their biomass fluctuations better and detect the alerting trends.