From 27 October to 24 November 2025, the University of Dubrovnik will host the international exhibition “Observing Coasts from Space: A Scientific View of Coastal Areas through Sentinel-2 Satellite Images”, offering visitors a unique opportunity to explore and understand coastal ecosystems through stunning images captured from space. The exhibition is organised in cooperation between the Embassy of the Kingdom of Spain in Croatia and the University of Dubrovnik, with the support of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), the Institute of Marine Sciences of Andalusia (ICMAN-CSIC), and other Spanish scientific institutions.
The opening ceremony will take place on Monday, 27 October, at 12 AM in the Aula of the University of Dubrovnik (Ćira Carića 4), with the participation of the exhibition’s author, Dr Isabel Caballero de Frutos, principal investigator of the Sen2Coast project. The exhibition presents the results of a three-year observation of the world’s coasts using Sentinel-2 satellites, combining science, art, and environmental awareness in a distinctive way.
Through 21 large-format panels, visitors can discover satellite images of coastal areas such as the Bay of Cádiz, the Mar Menor lagoon, and the Ebro River delta, as well as more distant locations like the Persian Gulf, the Philippine archipelago, and the Bahamas. Each image is both a scientific tool and a work of art that reveals the biodiversity and current state of the world’s coastlines. The exhibition was created within UNESCO’s Ocean Decade initiative, aiming to raise awareness of the importance of preserving seas and coasts from threats such as pollution, rising sea levels, and invasive species.
Dr Isabel Caballero de Frutos is a member of the Ecosystems and Oceanography Research Group at the Institute of Marine Sciences of Andalusia and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). She graduated from the University of Vigo and continued her research at the universities of Santander, Cádiz, and Granada. As an expert in remote sensing and oceanography, she leads innovative research using Sentinel-2 and Sentinel-3 satellites within the Copernicus programme to improve coastal area management and promote marine biodiversity conservation.
“This approach to seas and coasts can help raise awareness among future generations about the need to protect our planet, especially the oceans – the more we see them as a part of ourselves, the more we will care for their well-being,” said Dr Caballero, who will attend the opening and be available for discussion with visitors.
Since its first presentation in Cádiz in 2022, the exhibition has travelled to numerous cities in Spain and abroad. Its first presentation in Croatia took place in Split in 2024, selected for its long-standing cooperation with the University of Cádiz within the SEA-EU Alliance (European University of the Seas). After Dubrovnik, the exhibition will continue its journey to other coastal cities in Croatia.
The exhibition will be open from Monday to Friday, 8 AM –8 PM, in the Aula of the University of Dubrovnik. Admission is free. Don’t miss the opportunity to experience our planet from a new perspective and discover the fascinating world of remote sensing, science, and the beauty of our coasts.
