Researchers Use Satellites to Analyze Global Reef Biodiversity (IMAGE)

University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science

Researchers Use Satellites to Analyze Global Reef Biodiversity

Caption

Generating dynamic habitat windows in the Fulaga Atoll (Fiji). In this example, habitat windows encompassed 10, 100 and 500 ha centered on a dive station (white “x”). These windows were generated using our dynamic window algorithm that detected and morphed around terrestrial habitats. The 10 ha insets on the left portray the satellite imagery and the three satellite map types within that area: the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation Global Reef Expedition (“KSLOF- GRE”) habitat maps, and the Allen Coral Atlas (“ACA”) benthic and geomorphic maps. Note that the 10 ha window contained no obstacles, and was therefore circular, whereas the 100 and 500 ha windows deviated from circles because they morphed around terrestrial obstacles while maintaining their specified areas.

Credit

Bakker, et.al.

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