An Analysis of the Feasibility of Using Satellite Imagery to Examine Coral Health and Extent over Time
Poster Number
070
College
College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Interdisciplinary Studies
Faculty Mentor
Bryan McFadden, M.S.
Abstract
This study assessed the effectiveness of publicly available satellite imagery datasets for monitoring the health and extent of coral reefs over time. This study looked at changes in coral health and extent along the Great Barrier Reef. To evaluate the effectiveness of satellite data for determining changes in health of coral, the study utilized Landsat data from Landsat 4, 5, and 8, ranging from the early 1980s to current (2017). The study uses the NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) to analyze the photosynthetic zooxanthellae content of the coral, which is a good indicator of coral health. To analyze the value of Landsat data for mapping extent of coral, the study utilizes existing GIS (Geographic Information Systems) datasets from the Millennium Coral Reef Mapping project (1999-2002) as a baseline
Course Assignment
GEOG 471 – McFadden)
Previously Presented/Performed?
Fourth Annual Showcase of Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavors (SOURCE), Winthrop University, April 2018
Start Date
20-4-2018 2:15 PM
End Date
20-4-2018 4:15 PM
An Analysis of the Feasibility of Using Satellite Imagery to Examine Coral Health and Extent over Time
Richardson Ballroom (DIGS)
This study assessed the effectiveness of publicly available satellite imagery datasets for monitoring the health and extent of coral reefs over time. This study looked at changes in coral health and extent along the Great Barrier Reef. To evaluate the effectiveness of satellite data for determining changes in health of coral, the study utilized Landsat data from Landsat 4, 5, and 8, ranging from the early 1980s to current (2017). The study uses the NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) to analyze the photosynthetic zooxanthellae content of the coral, which is a good indicator of coral health. To analyze the value of Landsat data for mapping extent of coral, the study utilizes existing GIS (Geographic Information Systems) datasets from the Millennium Coral Reef Mapping project (1999-2002) as a baseline
