Corales

Marine Pollution Bulletin 51 (2005) 459–469 www.elsevier.com/locate/marpolbul

Mapping water quality and substrate cover in optically complex coastal and reef waters: an integrated approach
S.R.Phinn
a b

a,b,* ,

A.G. Dekker

a,c

, V.E. Brando

a,c

, C.M. Roelfsema

a,b,d

Cooperative Research Centre for Coastal Zone, Estuary and Waterways Management, Brisbane, Queensland4069, Australia Biophysical Remote Sensing Group, School of Geography, Planning and Architecture, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia c Environmental Remote Sensing Group,CSIRO Division of Land and Water, Canberra, A.C.T., 2601, Australia d Centre for Marine Studies, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia

Abstract Sustainable management ofcoastal and coral reef environments requires regular collection of accurate information on recognized ecosystem health indicators. Satellite image data and derived maps of water column and substratebiophysical properties provide an opportunity to develop baseline mapping and monitoring programs for coastal and coral reef ecosystem health indicators. A significant challenge for satellite image data incoastal and coral reef water bodies is the mixture of both clear and turbid waters. A new approach is presented in this paper to enable production of water quality and substrate cover type maps,linked to a field based coastal ecosystem health indicator monitoring program, for use in turbid to clear coastal and coral reef waters. An optimized optical domain method was applied to map selected waterquality (Secchi depth, Kd PAR, tripton, CDOM) and substrate cover type (seagrass, algae, sand) parameters. The approach is demonstrated using commercially available Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapperimage data over a coastal embayment exhibiting the range of substrate cover types and water quality conditions commonly found in sub-tropical and tropical coastal environments. Spatially extensive...