Mapping of the Seagrass Cover Along the Mediterranean Coast of Turkey Using Landsat 8 Oli Images

Abstract

ABSTRACT:Benthic habitat is defined as ecological environment where marine animals, plants and other organisms live in. Benthic habitat mapping is defined as plotting the distribution and extent of habitats to create a map with complete coverage of the seabed showing distinct boundaries separating adjacent habitats or the use of spatially continuous environmental data sets to represent and predict biological patterns on the seafloor. Seagrass is an essential endemic marine species that prevents coast erosion and regulates carbon dioxide absorption in both undersea and atmosphere. Fishing, mining, pollution and other human activities cause serious damage to seabed ecosystems and reduce benthic biodiversity. According to the latest studies, only 5-10% of the seafloor is mapped, therefore it is not possible to manage resources effectively, protect ecologically important areas. In this study, it is aimed to map seagrass cover using Landsat 8 OLI images in the northern part of Mediterranean coast of Turkey. After pre-processing (e.g. radiometric, atmospheric, water depth correction) of Landsat images, coverage maps are produced with supervised classification using in-situ data which are underwater photos and videos. Result maps and accuracy assessment are presented and discussed.

A Review of Remote Sensing of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation for Non-Specialists

“…Sequoia sen-sor, MEIS, Landsat [80][81][82] 30+ Hyperspectral Sensors that record dozens to > 100 narrow, contiguous bands.…”

“…These aerial images can be used as raw inputs for maps or supporting information for interpreting satellite imagery [85]. Modern digital RGB cameras can additionally be used to collect data for simple analyses; Flynn et al used an RGB Go Pro Hero 3+ mounted on a consumer grade UAV to map green Cladophora glomerata cover against a yellowish-brown background with 92% overall accuracy in a shallow river [82].…”