Ecological vulnerability of the Viluni Lagoon SYSTEM IN Albania USING copernicus Sentinel-2 imagery

Abstract

The Viluni Lagoon, a critical coastal ecotone in northern Albania, is shaped by hydrological interactions between the Shkodra Lake system, the Buna River, and the Adriatic Sea. This dynamic interface between freshwater and marine environments supports diverse migratory bird populations and specialized species adapted to transitional conditions, making it highly sensitive to environmental change. Anthropogenic pressures, including tourism, sand extraction, and altered river discharge, disrupt the lagoon’s natural balance and contribute to habitat degradation. At the same time, climate-driven processes such as coastal erosion, floodplain shifts, and intensified storm surges increasingly influence shoreline dynamics, water levels, and salinity patterns. The aim of this study was to asses the ecological vulnerability of the Viluni Lagoon system (Albania), based on Copernicus Sentinel-2 Imagery .