Accession Number:

ADA621237

Title:

Coastal Benthic Optical Properties (CoBOP) of Coral Reef Environments: Small Scale Fluorescent Optical Signatures and Hyperspectral Remote Sensing of Coral Reef Habitats

Descriptive Note:

Annual rept.

Corporate Author:

NEW HAMPSHIRE UNIV DURHAM

Personal Author(s):

• Lesser, Michael P.

Report Date:

2003-09-30

Pagination or Media Count:

6.0

Abstract:

The Coastal Benthic Optical Properties CoBOP project is directed at understanding the optical properties of coastal benthic communities in general, and in particular, coral reefs. Coral reef communities are coastal areas of high water transparency which make them ideal systems to study optical signatures originating from the benthos. The scientific objectives of my project are 1. to attain optical closure for coral reef communities 2. to understand the causes of benthic optical variability a. determine the spectral signatures, both fluorescent and reflectance, of reef organisms b. determine the effects of the physical environment on the physiology of reef organisms and assess those effects on optical signatures c. identify the temporal and spatial scales of variability in these optical signatures d. to help evaluate the use of underwater systems to quantitatively measure fluorescent optical signatures.

Descriptors:

• *CORAL REEFS
• *OPTICAL PROPERTIES
• ALGAE
• AQUATIC ORGANISMS
• CORAL
• ECOLOGY
• FLUORESCENCE
• HABITATS
• HYPERSPECTRAL IMAGERY
• OCEAN BOTTOM
• OCEAN ENVIRONMENTS
• OPTICAL SIGNATURES
• PHOTOSYNTHESIS
• REFLECTANCE
• REMOTE DETECTION
• SEA WATER
• ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
• VARIATIONS

Subject Categories:

• Ecology
• Biological Oceanography
• Optics

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE