Benthic Habitat Mapping Using Multispectral High-Resolution Imagery: Evaluation of Shallow Water Atmospheric...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Remote Sensing
• Oceanography

Background:

• Coastal water ecosystems require effective monitoring for conservation.
• High-resolution satellite imagery, like WorldView-2 (WV-2), offers crucial spatial data for littoral zone management.
• Atmospheric interference and sun glint can degrade satellite data quality for coastal applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate atmospheric correction methods for high-resolution multispectral satellite data in coastal environments.
• To develop and apply an integrated methodology for mapping benthic habitats and seagrass distribution.
• To assess the potential for analyzing multitemporal changes in coastal ecosystems.

Main Methods:

• Implementation and assessment of atmospheric correction algorithms (FLAASH, ATCOR, 6S) using field spectroradiometer data.
• Development of an automatic deglinting procedure integrated with atmospheric correction.
• Application of a linear mixing model within a radiative transfer model for benthic habitat mapping.

Main Results:

• All evaluated atmospheric correction approaches yielded excellent results.
• The 6S model-based algorithm demonstrated slightly superior performance.
• The integrated methodology successfully mapped seagrass distribution and density in Canary Islands' coastal waters.

Conclusions:

• Accurate atmospheric correction is vital for utilizing high-resolution satellite data in coastal ecosystem monitoring.
• The developed methodology provides a robust tool for mapping benthic habitats and analyzing environmental changes.
• This approach supports conservation efforts and the study of human impact and climate change effects on littoral zones.