| title: | Mapping of benthic algal cover in Estonian coastal waters by remote sensing |
|---|---|
| reg no: | ETF6051 |
| project type: | Estonian Science Foundation research grant |
| status: | accepted |
| institution: | Estonian Marine Institute |
| head of project: | Tiit Kutser |
| duration: | 01.01.2005 - 31.12.2008 |
| description: | Quantitative analysis of benthic algae habitat allows estimating state of the coastal waters and its changes that are caused by anthropogenic impact. Monitoring of benthic communities has been carried out in six study areas since 1995 in the frame of Estonian Environmental Monitoring Program. The studied area is in (hundreds of) square meters in each study site due to the costs and time consuming nature of diving and further laboratory analysis. The full monitoring program was carried out only in 1997 due to lack of appropriate funding. Remote sensing is practically the only way to map changes in benthic algal community on larger area. Aim of the project is to study optical properties (reflectance) of different benthic algae species and other bottom types (sand, mud, etc.) to estimate what bottom types are seperable from each other based on their optical signature. There is also need to study optical properties of waters overlaying the benthic habitat to be able to estimate the maximum depth where different benthic habitats can be separated from each other by remote sensing. Collected data will be used as input for a bio-optical model that allows to estimate what bottom types are separable from each other, in how deep water it can be done, and what kind of remote sensing instruments can be used. Result of the project would be remote sensing methods and algorithms that allow mapping of bottom types (different algae, sand, mud, etc.) in turbid coastal waters. Successful results of this project should enable to extend the benthic algal mapping from point measurements to the whole coastal zone. In future monitoring program should be organised this way that the detailed benthic algal cover measurements and analyses will be carried out as at present and then the data from six locations will be extrapolated to the whole coastal zone using (satellite) remote sensing. Image archives, going back to 1972, is also an advantage of using of remote sensing since it allows studying changes in benthic algal cover long before the Environmental Monitoring Program started. |
| project group | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| no | name | institution | position | |
| 1. | Helgi Arst | Estonian Institute of Economics at Tallinn Technical University | senior researcher | |
| 2. | Tiit Kutser | Estonian Marine Institute | senior scientist | |
| 3. | Birgot Paavel | Estonian Institute of Economics at Tallinn Technical University | engineer | |