Comparison of Satellite-Based Sea Surface Temperature to In Situ Observations Surrounding Coral Reefs in La Parguera, Puerto Rico
Coral reefs are among the most biologically diverse ecosystems on Earth. In the last few decades, a combination of stressors has produced significant declines in reef expanse, with declining reef health attributed largely to thermal stresses. We investiga...
An assessment of Landsat-8 atmospheric correction schemes and remote sensing reflectance products in coral reefs and coastal turbid waters
The Operational Land Imager (OLI) onboard Landsat-8 satellite can provide remote sensing reflectance (Rrs) of aquatic environments with high spatial resolution (30 m), allowing for benthic habitat mapping and monitoring of bathymetry and water column opti...
River Streamflow, Remotely Sensed Water Quality, and Benthic Composition of Previously Undescribed Nearshore Coral Reefs in Northern Puerto Rico
Land-based sediment stress represents a threat to many coral reefs in Puerto Rico primarily as a result of unrestricted land cover/land use changes and poor best management practices. The effects of such stresses have been documented along most coasts aro...
Cold water coral ecosystems and their biodiversity: a review of their economic and social value
Despite the growing scientific literature on cold-water corals (CWC) there appears to be no research of an economic nature applied to the resource. This paper presents an overview of the goods and services of CWC and their associated biodiversity. Use and...
Optimal Spatiotemporal Scales to Aggregate Satellite Ocean Color Data for Nearshore Reefs and Tropical Coastal Waters: Two Case Studies
Remotely sensed ocean color data are useful for monitoring water quality in coastal environments. However, moderate resolution (hundreds of meters to a few kilometers) satellite data are underutilized in these environments because of frequent data gaps fr...
Geomorphology of mesophotic coral ecosystems: current perspectives on morphology, distribution, and mapping strategies
"This paper presents a general review of the distribution of mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs) in relationship to geomorphology in US waters. It was specifically concerned with the depth range of 30-100 m, where more than 186,000 km2 of potential seafloo...
Characterization of Deep Reef Benthic Habitats of Queen Snapper in Mona Passage, Puerto Rico
"This study is a groundbreaking initiative from the Caribbean Fishery Management Council to provide a baseline characterization of the benthic habitats of deep sea snappers and groupers that represent the most important finfish assemblage of the Puerto Ri...
The production of these AVHRR L2P data is a NEODAAS activity in collaboration with the UK National Centre for Ocean Forecasting (NCOF). NEODAAS-Dundee acquires approx. 15 AVHRR HRPT passes per day over NW Europe and Arctic, each approx. 15 minutes duratio...
Ocean Color Product for Monitoring the Threat of Land-Based Sources of Pollution to Coral Reefs
New satellite products to monitor the threat of land-based sources of pollution (LBSP) to coral reefs are being developed by NESDIS/STAR’s Ocean Color Team in conjunction with Coral Reef Watch (CRW). Following two years of in-house prototype work (FY13/14...
Quantifying the Effects of Hurricanes Irma and Maria on Coastal Water Quality in Puerto Rico using Moderate Resolution Satellite Sensors