Accession Number:

AD1135448

Title:

High Resolution Landscape (2-D) Mosaics for Improved Coral Reef Monitoring Capability

Descriptive Note:

[Technical Report, Final Report]

Corporate Author:

SPACE AND NAVAL WARFARE SYSTEMS COMMAND

Personal Author(s):

• Cooke, Cheryl A.
• Wild, William
• Reid, R. P.

Report Date:

2020-08-31

Pagination or Media Count:

346

Abstract:

The overall objective of this project was to demonstrate the utility of underwater image mosaics for coral reef monitoring. The problem of efficiently mapping and monitoring coral reef resources has relevance to the DoD for several reasons. First, at least 46 US military facilities have adjacent coral reef sites. Second, federal policy mandates that DoD characterize, assess, and monitor underwater benthic communities at these sites to ensure that DoD operations do not lead to natural resource degradation. Third, coral reef ecosystems worldwide are presently threatened by increasing levels of both human and natural disturbance. Thus, monitoring efforts that can efficiently provide data that will help distinguish between reef degradation that can be directly attributed to DoD activities versus those that that are correlated with region-wide decline are of primary concern.

Descriptors:

• fish
• department of defense
• habitats
• information processing
• information science
• surveys
• information systems
• knowledge management
• coordinate systems
• data science
• ecology
• marine biology
• naval warfare
• performance tests
• statistical analysis
• statistical tests
• atmospheric sciences
• autonomous underwater vehicles
• cameras
• divers

Subject Categories:

• Biological Oceanography
• Photography

Distribution Statement:

[A, Approved For Public Release]