PROCEEDINGS OF THE

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON TOURISM

(ICOT 2011)
Tourism in an Era of Uncertainty
Rhodes Island, Greece

2730 April 2011

EDITORS
Konstantinos Andriotis
Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus
k.andriotis@cut.ac.cy
Antonis Theocharous
Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus
antonis.theocharous@cut.ac.cy
Filareti Kotsi
Technological Educational Institute of Serres, Greece
f-kotsi@otenet.gr

2011 International Association for Tourism Policy

ISBN 978-9963-9799-3-6
ISSN 1986-4256
Printed in Cyprus

Procceedings of the International Conference on Tourism (ICOT 2011):

TOURISM IN AN ERA OF UNCERTAINTY
Island,, Greece, 27
20111
Rhodes Island
27 30 April 201

CONFERENCE AIM
The twenty-first century has brought new challenges for tourism. Climate
change, infectious diseases, economic crises, terrorism, globalisation, and
entrenched social problems pose threats and create an uncertain tourism
environment that affects destinations and their populations in virtually every
corner of the contemporary world. To keep pace with these challenges,
governments, businesses, communities, and tourism organisations need to
continuously assess environmental factors, to identify future trends and to
examine various response policies and management techniques to
decrease risk and uncertainty. Bearing all these in mind, ICOT 2011 aims
to contribute to the debate on tourism in relation to different aspects of
uncertainty, by stimulating discussion and exchange of ideas between
tourism professionals, academics, researchers, policy-makers, consultants,
practitioners, government officials and postgraduate students from tourismrelated fields.

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CONFERENCE TOPICS

CONFERENCE TOPICS
The topics of the conference include but are not limited to the following:

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Climate Change and Natural Disasters

Health Problems / Infectious Diseases / Epidemiology
Economic Crises and Risk
Uncertainty and Risk
Destination Attributes Related to Uncertainty
Role of Uncertainty and Risk in the Tourist Experience
Globalisation Effects
Tourism, Terrorism, Safety and Security
Tourism Development, Policy and Planning
Economic/Social/Environmental/Cultural Impact of Tourism
Community Responses to Risk and Uncertainty.
Resiliency Planning
Sustainable Tourism
Alternative and Special Interest Tourism
Tourism Marketing and Management
Information Technology in Tourism
Negotiation in Tourism
Industrys Role in Managing Growth Transportation and Tourism
Authenticity and Commodification
Tourism Education
The Future of Tourism

COMMITTEES

COMMITTEES
CHAIRMAN
Konstantinos Andriotis, Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus
VICE CHAIRMAN
Dimitrios P. Stergiou, Hellenic Open University, Greece
Antonis Theocharous, Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus
SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE
George Agiomirgianakis, Hellenic Open University
Theodoros Benetatos, IMI University Center, Switzerland
Nikolaos Boukas, European University, Cyprus
Bill Bramwell, Sheffield Hallam University, UK
Carla Pinto Cardoso, Fernando Pessoa University, Portugal
Peter Cave, University of Central Lancashire, UK
Noga Collins-Kreiner, University of Haifa, Israel
Keith Dewar, University of New Brunswick-Saint John, Canada
Yuksel Ekinci, Oxford Brookes University, UK
Shi Fangfang, Dongbei University Finance and Economics, China
Aliza Fleischer, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
Michael Hall, University of Canterbury, New Zealand
Lee Jolliffe, University of New Brunswick-Saint John, Canada
Filareti Kotsi, Hellenic Open University, Greece
Cheng Li, Sichuan University, China
Ewen Michael, La Trobe University, Australia
Graham Miller, University of Surrey, UK
Christof Pforr, Curtin University of Technology, Australia
Neil Robinson, University of Salford, UK
Alexis Saveriades, Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus
Pasquale Sgro, Deakin University, Australia
Rodoula Tsiotsou, University of Macedonia, Greece
David Roger Vaughan, Bournemouth University, UK
Natan Uriely, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
Kitty Wang, Sheffield Hallam University, UK
Craig Webster, The University of Nicosia, Cyprus

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ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
Konstantinos Andriotis, Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus
Theodoros Benetatos, IMI University Center, Switzerland
Anastasia Mavrothalassiti, Technical Lyceum of Paradisi, Greece
Christos Petreas, Petreas Associates, Greece
Dimitrios P. Stergiou, Hellenic Open University, Greece
Antonis Theocharous, Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus
Shi Fangfang, Dongbei University Finance and Economics, China
Alexis Saveriades, Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus
Konstantinos Papadopoulos. Cyprus University of Technology
Misela Marvic, Cyprus University of Technology
Fotini Papadopoulou, Cyprus University of Technology
Savvas Sakkadas, Cyprus University of Technology

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Information System For The Detection Of Jellyfish In Spanish Mediterranean Coastal Waters

INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR THE DETECTION

OF JELLYFISH IN SPANISH MEDITERRANEAN
COASTAL WATERS
JUAN E. GUILLN NIETO, ALEJANDRO
TRIVIO PREZ AND GABRIEL SOLER
CAPDEPN
INSTITUTO DE ECOLOGA LITORAL, SPAIN
Abstract
Jellyfish are marine creatures that drift in the open sea, however, they may
arrive at the coast as result of ocean currents, tides and wind. The invasion
of harmful jellyfish becomes an environmental hazard for holidaymakers
due to these invertebrates being equipped with a defensive venom
apparatus. The exposure of bathers to jellyfish in the summer season
implies a risk of sting that may adversely impact the tourism sector. The
Spanish Department of Environment implemented an Action Plan for
studying and detecting jellyfish blooms off the Mediterranean coast. The
main objective was to define an early warning system that would allow
environmental authorities and lifeguard services to make decisions
orientated towards risk reduction on beaches. The Foundation Instituto de
Ecologa Litoral designed an information system that analysed alerts based
on jellyfish sightings made by a network of volunteer observers. The
observers used a standardised communication protocol to submit the gps
determined jellyfish locations. The significance of the alerts was evaluated
by applying the position coordinates to a zonal map that considered both
coastal morphology and distance to the coast. The system assesses the risk
of sting and the convenience of applying detection, communication and
removal protocols.

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1. Introduction
Jellyfish are marine creatures belonging to the phylum Cnidaria. These
invertebrates, which are almost entirely composed of water, have stinging
cells for defense and prey capture. They live in the open sea, and
frequently form groups or blooms with large numbers of individuals, the
geographic distribution and population size of which depends upon
environmental factors such as temperature, salinity/eutrophication, and
also the behaviour of winds and ocean currents. The main species of
jellyfish responsible for stings on the Spanish Mediterranean coast are the
Pelagia noctiluca and Rhizostoma pulmo. Their life cycle typically shows
a free-form adult stage usually between July and November, during which
the ability of the jellyfish to propel itself is insufficient to overcome
hydrodynamic forces, consequently they experience an erratic life
continual displacement by marine currents.
This limited capacity for self-propulsion explains the occasional
sweeping of groups of jellyfish onto the shore, as frequently occurs in the
Mediterranean. This is a natural cyclical phenomenon that unfortunately
coincides with the period of the year with the greatest influx of tourists to
the coast. Therefore, the problem of stinging occurs due to the
simultaneous spatio-temporal circumstances related to the biological cycle
of the jellyfish and the dominant model of sun and beach tourism in
coastal towns. Consequently, the naturally hazardous toxicity of the
jellyfish coupled with the vulnerability and exposure to them on the
beaches of the Mediterranean region results in a risk of stings from
accidental contact. This potential risk has become a recurring theme in the
media over the last decade, generating an alarm that adversely affects the
image of tourist destinations.
Anthropogenic phenomena, such as overfishing, eutrophication,
climate change or habitat modification, seem to be the cause of the
increase in jellyfish populations (both pelagic cnidarians and ctenophores),
often at the expense of other marine organisms. Growing evidence
suggests that the structure of pelagic ecosystems may change rapidly from
being dominated by fish (which control jellyfish populations via
competition or predation) to a less desirable state, dominated by gelatinous
plankton, with serious ecological and socioeconomic consequences. The
management actions necessary to stop such changes require long-term
preventive tactics and strategies based on specific information from the
research of this group (Atrill et al., 2007, Parsons and Lalli, 2002, Purcell
et al., 2007; Richardson and Gibbons, 2008, Richardson et al., 2009).

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Information System For The Detection Of Jellyfish In Spanish Mediterranean Coastal Waters

The frequency of jellyfish on the Spanish coast during the summer of

2006 led to the design of an action plan for the study and detection of
aggregations of jellyfish. The plan known as Campaign Jellyfish was
launched by the Ministry of Environment and was assisted by the Instituto
de Ecologa Litoral. The campaign included the following areas: research,
action and dissemination. The research section was aimed at the study of
the biology of the organisms and the environmental issues affecting them,
in order to develop predictive models for their proliferation (MMA, 2007).
The action section was targeted towards the development of performance
measures to identify aggregations and propose actions to reduce their
presence on beaches. Finally, the diffusion section was mainly responsible
for the production and dissemination of informative material on exactly
what jellyfish are, and how to behave in the bathing areas to avoid stings.
This article focuses on the performance section of the campaign, in
particular the information system and its corresponding detection protocol.
This was created ad hoc by the Instituto de Ecologa Litoral to manage
jellyfish warnings in Spanish Mediterranean coastal waters. The scope of
work included the coasts of Catalonia, Valencia, Murcia, The Balearic
Islands, Andalucia, Ceuta and Melilla. The computer system avoids the
issue of sighting evaluation in relation to the size of the area of sea
covered. The geographical position and distance from the coast became
key elements to monitor the aggregation and evaluate the importance of
each warning and its potential impact on bathing areas. Similarly, the
system identified the beaches exposed to the presence of jellyfish and
communicated this information to the relevant authorities in the locality.

2. The Detection Protocol of Campaign Jellyfish

The performance section of Campaign Jellyfish was aimed at
detecting the proliferation of these creatures, and whether or not it was
appropriate to start the removal protocol in order to avoid exposure in
bathing areas. Detection systems in countries like Japan have been tested
using video cameras (Hiroaki et al., 2001, Matsuura et al., 2007).
However, the activities in Spain were based upon the creation of a network
of observers, operating in a similar way to other volunteers groups who
observe the marine environment (e.g., recording sightings of sea turtles,
cetaceans, etc.). Such groups have clearly demonstrated their effectiveness
in recording valuable environmental data. The effectiveness of this method
was dependent upon the participation of a large number of volunteers who
frequently sail in fishing vessels, passenger ferries, and recreational craft,
etc. The volunteer observers were trained as jellyfish spotters and were
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registered as being authorised contributors to the information system. The

application of a visual detection method was fully justified over both
sonographic and remote sensing techniques due to the highly aqueous
composition of these organisms resulting in an inefficiency of the former,
and the formation of the thermocline during the summer season causing
the scarcity of phytoplankton in the water for the latter.
Figure 1: General scheme of the action section of Campaign Jellyfish

Source: MMA (2007).

The sightings were reported via SMS (Short Message Service) using
mobile telephones. This technology is commonplace on all boats, and
there is continual signal coverage on the Spanish coast. Thus, alerts were
transmitted by the mobile telephone network and were received by the
computer system which the stored information after applying filtering
functions to ensure that the alerts were correct and authorised. To do this,
the syntax of the alerts was adapted to a prescribed format that allowed it
to be handled properly by the system. The format contained the
geographic location of the sighting and also additional information on the
characteristics of the jellyfish grouping.
The validation criteria ensured that the SMS warnings received
complied with the communication requirements of the system. Incorrect
warnings were returned to the observers in order to allow them to properly
format the SMS, and resend. Validated messages were used to initiate the
communication of warnings to the relevant authorities. In the event that

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Information System For The Detection Of Jellyfish In Spanish Mediterranean Coastal Waters

the informed authorities then assessed there to be a serious risk of jellyfish

sting in the bathing area concerned, the protocol for collection/removal
became activated. The jellyfish collection/removal plans consider the time
of year, the abundance of organisms and also coastal proximity. When the
collection/removal of jellyfish from the sea is actioned, the results are sent
via the internet to the computer system where the data is stored and used
to analyse the extent of the problem.
Figure 2: Operational scheme for reporting sightings.

3. The Computer System for Warnings of Jellyfish

Sightings
The computer system for warnings is the cornerstone of the
performance section of Campaign Jellyfish, and it was responsible for
receiving communications from observers and also for sending warnings
to the relevant authorities. The system also received information regarding
any actions taken to minimise the risk of jellyfish stings on beaches. Due
to the fact that these data exchange requirements needed communication
tools to enable the sending and receiving of emails, faxes and SMS
messages, the system was installed on a server with both mail services and
web communication.

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3.1 The validation criteria of the warnings

The volunteer observers warn the system about the presence of
jellyfish using mobile phones. Notifications of the sightings were adapted
to a simple specific format to send via SMS. The alerts received were
treated and filtered to ensure they were correct. The message validation
process checked the following criteria:
1.

2.
3.
4.

The syntax of the message. The format corresponds to a twenty-five

character alphanumeric sentence that fits the following template
"LonXDD.MM.SSLatDD.MM.SSTA". Lon and Lat refer to the
longitude and latitude respectively; taking into account that X should
be replaced by E or W depending on whether it is east or west
longitude. It is understood that the latitude is north by default. The
letters D, M and S refer to the coordinate data in degrees, minutes and
seconds (tenths of a minute). The exact position is required in
geographical coordinates with respect to the WGS84 international
datum. This is the reference system which is normally used in
shipping. Finally, T indicates the type of sighting, and A indicates
abundance of jellyfish (i.e., the aggregate size of the grouping).
The authorisation of the observer. The sender's phone number must
be registered in the database of volunteer observers.
The validity of the geographic position. The filter checks that the
characters sent correspond to a coordinate that is within the maritime
area covered by the plan.
The type of sighting and the level of abundance. The category of the
sighting and the abundance of the group must coincide with the
observation codes stored in the database. The sighting code
determines that the message relates to jellyfish, and not, for example,
hydrocarbon spillages or waste material. In the exclusive case of
jellyfish, the level of abundance corresponds to a scale from 1 to 4 to
indicate whether the message relates to an isolated jellyfish or
abundance or grouping that occupies a large area.

2.2. Spatial classification of the warnings

The geographical location is the most important component of the
messages sent by observers without which no other information of
interest. The coordinates indicate where the sighting occurred, so these
represent a point object with spatial attributes. The point determines
the absolute position of the object relative to the reference system
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Information System For The Detection Of Jellyfish In Spanish Mediterranean Coastal Waters

whilst maintaining topological relationships with other spatial objects

(Bosque, 2000). Also, the spatial component remains tied to its
thematic attributes i.e., the type of sighting and the level of abundance,
in order that each object corresponds to a particular record in the
database.
Figure 3: Warning validation scheme

Source: MMA (2007).

The sightings entered into the system are employed in the prevention
of jellyfish stings via the communication of appropriate warnings to the
authorities concerned. The activation of the communication protocol is
dependent upon the geographical position, because it is from this that the
proximity to the shore is derived. This calculated distance to shore
determines exactly which authorities need to be informed. In order to take
account of the operational requirements of a territorial organisation, a
scheme was established comprising of four different zones, whereby as the
sea surface coverage decreases the level of detail increases. This zoning
has been classified according to the distance from the coast, as follows:
far, medium, close and near.
In each zone, the work area was subdivided into rectangular areas
whose size depended on the criterion of division. This corresponded to a
measured distance from the coast seaward, forming a line equidistant from
the meridians or parallels referred to the UTM coordinate system (Zone
30) and European Datum 1950. The end result was transferred to the
reference system commonly used in boat GPS (WGS84). The dividing

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lines in far and medium zones coincided with the administrative boundary
of local, provincial, and/or regional authorities. In all instances, the
distance was necessarily flexible in order to allow for the coastal
morphology.
The far zones have parts that cover an offshore distance of over 20 km
from a provincial or island coast. This division includes two remote sea
areas (i.e., without coastal contact) to include the offshore waters of
Castellon and Tarragona. These zones are necessary to accommodate
continuity of the possible sightings which may occur between the Balearic
Islands and the Iberian Peninsula. In total, the Mediterranean region is
covered by 16 zones corresponding to 10 complete provinces, plus the east
of Cadiz, the island of Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza (together with
Formentera) and the two remote maritime sectors off Castellon and
Tarragona. Finally, it should be noted that Ceuta and Melilla are only
covered by near and close zones.
The boundaries of each far zone were adhered to with respect to the
neighbouring zones and this delineation continued successively with the
increasing the scale of the work. The medium zones divide the far zones
into smaller areas, with the distance to coast being less than 20 km.
Furthermore, the medium zones that divide a single province were allotted
a similar length of coastline. These zones combined various municipalities
and necessarily approximated to the morphology of the coast, as the
orientation and presence of headlands may well influence the trajectory of
jellyfish groupings. Thus, the provincial coastlines have been divided into
between two and five zones, whilst the Balearic Islands have four to nine
zones.
The close zones divide the preceding medium zones into areas with a
distance of less than 5 km from the coast. These combine less
municipalities than previously, and, in many cases include only one or
two. Therefore, the sightings that occur in these close zones readily
establish exactly which local authorities need to be informed about the
presence of jellyfish. To compliment this, the sea area directly adjacent to
the coast is subcategorised into even smaller zones which are termed near.
These have a distance of less than 1 km from the coast and correspond to
the beaches and coves exposed to danger. The database stores 748 near
zones, which when superimposed over the beaches produces 1,107 rows.
This is the most detailed level of geographic site information that can be
supplied to the authorities from the information system.

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Information System For The Detection Of Jellyfish In Spanish Mediterranean Coastal Waters

3.3 Communication of warnings to institutions

The information system sends warnings to inform the administration(s)
depending upon the area where the sighting has been made. These
communications were made by fax or email to the following
organisations:
1. Central Coordinating Node.
2. Provincial Coast Administation. You can establish a pre-warning
notification where the sightings are in far zones and a standard
warning when the sightings are in the close zones.
3. Local Councils. The warning is transferred to the organisation
responsible beach safety (e.g., lifeguards and rescue services).
4. Other institutions. You can store other institutions and organisations
that demonstrate a valid interest and/or operational capacity (e.g.,
Regional Authorities, Government Offices, Port/Maritime
Authorities, fishermen, civil protection organisations, private
companies, etc.).
Figure 4: Far and medium zoning scheme

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Figure 5: Far, medium, close and near zoning scheme

Incoming warnings sent by volunteer observers only became salient

when they met the previously detailed criteria. Once validated, the
warning message was automatically stored in the system, with the duration
of validity of the warnings requiring configuration within the system. At
this point the process of sending warnings to the appropriate authorities
was triggered, based on the following terms:
1.
2.
3.

Alert the authorities associated with the zone (far, medium, close and
near). The coordinates correspond to an area which has designated
organisations that are competent in the matter.
Alert the institutions related to the area depending on the type of
sighting and the level of abundance.
Alert the institutions differentiating between:
 Always warn.
 Warn when matched with an autonomous region, province or
municipality.
 Never warn.

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Information System For The Detection Of Jellyfish In Spanish Mediterranean Coastal Waters

The outgoing message can be changed depending upon the distance

from the coast, the type of sighting and the level of abundance. The system
administrator may readily adjust the dynamic text template. An example
template would be: "We found <SIGHTING> <ABUNDANCE>, on the
<TIME> <DATE>, <ZONE>, <MUNICIPALITY>" or "<SIGHTING>
<ABUNDANCE> found. The beaches at risk of jellyfish invasion are
<BEACH>". The use of this information is dependent upon the end users
deciding whether or not to activate the action plans. The removal of
jellyfish from the sea, when it occurs, has to comply with the guidelines of
the collection protocol. This considers the season, the distance from the
bathing areas and the type of warning received.

4. Conclusion
'Campaign Jellyfish addresses to the risks associated with jellyfish
stings on the Spanish Mediterranean coast. Even though the presence of
jellyfish is both natural and cyclical, it is highly desirable to have a tool
available that serves to prevent exposure to them on the beaches in order
to minimise the adverse effects of social alarm and inconvenience that
may be caused to the tourism sector. Thus, the campaign designed a
computer system which combines detection, communication and
collection protocols, which establish the guidelines for action at local
level.
The computer system for managing jellyfish warnings addresses the
problems associated with the vast area of sea covered, including the
election of which administrations need to be informed when appropriate.
This was resolved by applying a validation criteria to the notifications
received via SMS, which was primarily dependent spatial attributes of the
sightings. The geographical position was used to place the sighting in an
array of geographical zones, and to calculate the distance from the coast,
which together with thematic attributes of spatial object was used to
classify the importance of the sighting. When the spatial attributes of the
warning inferred a potential risk the communication protocol was initiated.
In its first edition, the performance section of the plan has
demonstrated acceptable operational capabilities. Therefore, we can say
that the criteria for validation of the computer system based on the scheme
of zones have helped in achieving the objectives of detection and
communication. However, the potential exists for zone improvement. This
is an issue that must be addressed in the future as more experience and
information is gained. In any case, the detection protocol is exportable to
other applications relating to sightings at sea. The zone scheme can be
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adapted to monitor, for example, whale or pollutant movements. The

availability of databases with spatial and thematic attributes is also of great
value in the design of models that simulate the behaviour of both natural
and anthropogenic phenomena. In this respect, a predictive system has
recently been trialed on 15 beaches in the Balearic Islands-based,
modelling ocean currents, coastal hydrodynamics and morphology
(Alvarez-Ellacura et al., 2009).

5. References
1. lvarez-Ellacura, A. et al. (2009). An alert system for beach hazard

2.

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management in the Balearic Islands. Coastal Management, 37-6, 569584.

Attrill, M. J., Wright, J. and Edwards, M. (2007). Climate related
increases in jellyfish frequency suggest a more gelatinous future for the
North Sea. Limnology amd Oceanography, 52, 480-485.
Bosque Sendra, J. (2000). Sistemas de Informacin Geogrfica.
Madrid: Rialp.
Hiroaki, K., Toshifumi, K., and Naoki, H. (2001). Detection system for
jellyfish inflow using images from monitor video cameras.
Transactions of the Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan, C 121-5,
854-861.
Matsuura, F., Fujisawa, N., and Ishikawa, S. (2007). Detection and
removal of jellyfish using underwater image analysis. Journal of
Visualization, 10-3 259-260.
Ministerio de Medio Ambiente (MMA). (2007). Para prevenir e
investigar sobre las agregaciones de estos organismos: Campaa
Medusas. Ambienta, Julio-agosto, 12-16.
Parsons, T.R. and Lalli, C.M. (2002). Jellyfish population explosions:
revisiting a hypothesis of possible causes. Mer, 40, 111121.
Purcell, J.E., Shin-ichi, U. and Wen-Tseng, L. (2007). Anthropogenic
causes of jellyfish blooms and their direct consequences for humans: A
review. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 350, 153-174.
Richardson, A.J., Bakun, A., Hays, G.C. and Gibbons, M.J. (2009).
The jellyfish joyride: causes, consequences and management responses
to a more gelatinous future. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 24-6, 312322.
Richardson, A.J. and Gibbons, M.J. (2008). Are jellyfish increasing in
response to ocean acidification? Limnology Oceanography, 53, 20402045.

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Acknowlegements
The Spanish Department of Environment for their support of the implementation
of the Campaign Jellyfish in 2007. Infortrnica S.L. for the development of the
computer system.

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