Shallow-water (<30m) benthic habitat maps of the nearshore marine environment of two areas in Southwest Puerto Rico (PR), including the Guanica Bay/La Parguera region on the south coast and the Belvedere reserve on the west coast, were mapped and characterized using visual interpretation of optical remotely sensed imagery. The objective was to provide spatially-explicit information on the habitat types, biological cover and live coral cover of the regions coral reef ecosystem. These maps will be used to support marine resource management and conservation in the Commonwealth. GeoEye-1 satellite imagery was purchased for the mapping area. Photo-interpreters accurately and reliably delineated boundaries of features from this GeoEye-1 imagery as they appeared on the computer monitor using a software interface.
This product served as source information for a fine-scale assessment of the status, abundance, and distribution of marine habitats of Southwest Puerto Rico. The NOAA effort provides resource managers and researchers with increased technical capacity for ocean exploration, management, and stewardship. Direct implications to management measures include evaluation of management efficacy, a spatial framework for improved monitoring sampling design, improved assessment of human-use impacts, and marine spatial planning to support alternative marine protected area boundary alternatives.
ground condition
Note: NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION.
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Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service (NOS), Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment (CCMA), Biogeography Branch
These data are believed to be logically consistent, although not tested.
The image was pansharpened, georeferenced and co-registered
Used to identify and digitize benthic habitats of Southwest Puerto Rico
ENVI 4.6.1 software was used to derive a high-resolution, pansharpened and georeferenced dataset. For each scene, ENVIs Pan Sharpening tool created a full-color image at the panchromatic bands resolution (0.41 m). This image fusion tool merges the spectral signatures of the input color bands while using the panchromatic band to enhance the spatial features, two useful outcomes for the photointerpreter. Subsequently, geo-referencing was performed using ENVIs Orthorectify GeoEye-1 with Ground Control module. The ground control points (GCPs) were fixed ground features visible in the imagery that are used along with the satellites ephemeris data to link the image pixels to a coordinate system. NOAA scientists occupied and logged these points using a L1 Trimble GeoXT mapping grade GPS unit, and accuracy was enhanced by adjusting to the continuously-operating base station (PRMI CORS) located on Magueyes Island, PR. Due to the difficulty of obtaining precise positions for submerged features, only ground control points for terrestrial features were collected. Also as part of this module, terrain displacement was corrected for using the U.S. Geological Surveys Digital Elevation Model (DEM). Once individually orthorectified, the scenes from each acquisition were geographically matched tightly to one another using ENVIs Warp From GCPs: Image to Image tool.
Blue (positioned & pan-sharpened)
NOAA
Green (positioned & pan-sharpened)
Red (positioned & pan-sharpened)
Near Infrared (positioned & pan-sharpened)
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