Coral Reef Habitat Mapping

Examples of developed and implemented approaches to map coral reef habitats using field and remote sensing data since 2000 for various projects in Asia Pacific.

Locations
Kandavu & Navakavu & Suva & Kumbalau - Fiji, Aitutaki - Cook Island, Moorea - French Polynesia, Tonga, Palau & Guam & Pohnpei - Micronesia, Rongerik & Bikini Atoll - Marshall Island, Roviana & Marovo - Solomon Islands, Selayar - Indonesia, Donojo Banks - Philippines, Vietnam, Glovers Reef - Belize 

Researchers and students
Chris Roelfsema, Stuart Phinn, Eva Kovacs, Simon Albert, Alistair Grinham, Peter Mumby, Daniel Harris

Partner Researchers include
Javier Leon, Megan Saunders, Sarah Hamylton, Magnus Wettle, Arnold Dekker, Janet Anstee, Stacy Jupiter, Wolf Forstreuter, Andy Estep, Karen Stone, Serge Andrefouet, Karen Joyce, Ian Leiper, Julie Scopolities, Maria Berger, Elizabeth Madin, Jennifer Selgrath, Anders Knudby

Timeframe
2000 - present

Funding agency
CSIRO, World Bank GEF-Targeted Coral Reef Remote Sensing, ARC-Linkage, Worldlife Conservation Society, South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC), Great Barrier Reef Foundation, Waitt Foundation

Summary

Since 2000, we have focused on developing approaches to map and monitor coral reefs for various purposes and locations, from small reefs (10-50 km2) to large reef systems (350 km2) to global. The reef habitats are mapped at various spatial detail (extent, reef type, geomorphic, benthic patch scale) using a combination of remote sensing and field data.

Study sites were throughout Asia-Pacific such as Kandavu and Kumbalau - Fiji, Aitutaki-Cook Island, Moorea - French Polynesia, Tonga, Palau & Guam & Ponepei-Micronesia, Rongorik & Bikini Atoll- Marshall Island, Roviana & Marovo-Solomon Islands, Selayar-Indonesia, Donojo Banks-Philippines, Vietnam, Glovers Reef -Belize and all global coral reefs through the Allen Coral Atlas. Heron Reef in the Capricorn Bunker group and the Great Barrier Reef Formed important.  

The habitat maps were created in collaboration with local researchers, non-government and government agencies and were crucial baseline data to support research and management questions to conserve these coral reef systems over time and space. These questions could be where to place marine protected areas, what habitats more impacted by climate change, what was the impact of natural disasters e.g. Tsunami Tonga 2022, what are best resilience measures. Several of the data sets created are online accessible and some of the work has been published in peer-reviewed journals next to project reports.  

The local knowledge gained, the methods developed and some of the data sets were instrumental for developing the approaches and implementing the global coral reef mapping for the Allen Coral Atlas.  

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Publications

Scientific journals

  • Sarah Hamylton, Stephanie Duce, Ana Vila-Concejo, Chris M. Roelfsema, Stuart R. Phinn, Rafael Carvalho, Emily Shaw, Karen Joyce (2017) Estimating regional coral reef calcium carbonate production from remotely sensed maps of seafloor character and reef structural complexity Remote Sensing of Environment.   https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2017.08.034  

  • Simon Albert, Megan I. Saunders, Chris M. Roelfsema, Javier X. Leon, Elizabeth Johnstone, Jock R. Mackenzie,Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, Norman C. Duke, Peter J. Mumby, Stuart R. Phinn2, Alistair R. Grinham, Eva Kovacs and Colin D. Woodroffe (2017) Winners and losers as mangrove, coral and seagrass ecosystems respond to sea-level rise in Solomon Islands, Ecosystem Response Letters https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aa7e68  

  • Selgrath J. S. Gergel, A.Vincent and C.M. Roelfsema (2015) “Mapping for Coral Reef Conservation: Comparing the Value of Participatory and Remote Sensing Approaches”. Biological Conservation, https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.1325   

  • Saunders, Megan ., Albert, Simon, Roelfsema, Chris M., Leon, Javier X., Woodroffe, Colin D., Phinn, Stuart R. and Mumby, Peter J. (2015) “Tectonic subsidence provides insight into possible coral reef futures under rapid sea-level rise.” Coral Reefs https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-015-1365-0  

  • Saunders Megan, I., Elisa Bayraktarov, M. Roelfsema Chris, X. Leon Javier, Jimena Samper-Villarreal, R. Phinn Stuart, E. Lovelock Catherine, and J. Mumby Peter. (2015) "Spatial and Temporal Variability of Seagrass at Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef." In Botanica Marina, 35: https://doi.org/10.1515/bot-2014-0060   

  • Leon J., C.M. Roelfsema, M.Saunders, and S.R.  Phinn (2015), Measuring coral reef terrain roughness using 'Structure-from-Motion' close-range photogrammetry. Geomorphology https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2015.01.030     

  • Saunders, M.I, J. X Leon, D.P. Callaghan,., C.M. Roelfsema, S. Hamylton, C.J. Brown, T. Baldock, A. Golshani,. S.R. Phinn, C.E. Lovelock, O Hoegh-Guldberg, , C. Woodroffe, P.J. Mumby, (2014) Interdependency of tropical marine ecosystems in response to climate change. Nature Climate Change. Https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate2274  

  • Tulloch-McShane, H. Possingham,  V, C. Klein, C.M. Roelfsema, S. Jupiter, and.  C.J. Klein (2013) Incorporating uncertainty associated with habitat data in marine reserve design. Biological Conservation https://doi.org/dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2013.03.003

  • Roelfsema, C. M., S. R. Phinn, S. Jupiter, J. Comley and S. Albert (2013). "Mapping Coral Reefs at Reef to Reef-System Scales (10-600 Km2) Using Obia Driven Ecological and Geomorphic Principles." International Journal of  Remote Sensing, https://doi.org/10.1080/01431161.2013.800660  

  • Knudby, A., S. Jupiter, C.M. Roelfsema, M. Lyons, and S. Phinn (2013), Mapping coral reef resilience indicators for management, Vanua Levu, Fiji, Remote Sensing, https://doi.org/10.3390/rs5031311 

  • Dien Van Tran, Phinn, S.R., and  Roelfsema, C.M. (2012) Coral Reef Mapping in Vietnam’s Coastal Waters from Highspatial Resolution Satellite and Field Survey Data, Asian Journal of Geoinformatics, 

  • Knudby, A., C.M. Roelfsema, M. Lyons, S. Phinn and S. Jupiter (2011), Mapping Fish Community Variables by Integrating Field and Satellite Data, Object-Based Image Analysis and Modeling in a Traditional Fijian Fisheries Management Area Remote Sensing https://doi.org/10.3390/rs3030460 

  • Roelfsema, C.M., and S.R. Phinn (2010 Calibration and Validation of Coral Reef Benthic Community Maps: Integration of Field Data with High Spatial Resolution Multi Spectral Satellite Imagery. Journal of Applied Remote Sensing, https://doi.org/10.1117/1.3430107

Scientific Data

  • Roelfsema, Christiaan M; Selgrath, Jennifer C; Gergel, Sarah E; Vincent, Amanda C J; Phinn, Stuart R (2016): Habitat map of Danajon Bank, Philippines, derived from a high-spatial-resolution multi-spectral satellite image and georeferenced point intercept transect and spot-check survey field data, using an object-based image classification method. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.864306 ,  

  • Roelfsema, Christiaan M; Saunders, Megan I; Canto, Robert Franklin C; Leon, Javier X; Phinn, Stuart R; Hamylton, Sarah (2014): Habitat Map for Lizard Island reef, Australia derived from a photo-transect survey field data collected in December 2011 and September/October 2012. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.864209   

  • Roelfsema, Chris M; Canto, Robert Franklin C; Saunders, Megan I; Leon, Javier X; Albert, Simon (2014): Benthic and substrate cover data derived from photo-transect surveys in a Sub Set of Roviana Reef, Solomon Islands, 2013-05-05 to 2013-05-09. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.840757  

  • Roelfsema CM, SR Phinn, S Jupiter, J Comley S. Albert. (2014): Habitat map of Roviana, Solomon Islands derived from a high-spatial-resolution multi-spectral satellite image using object based image analysis.. Dataset https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.831039  

  • Wendt, Hans; Roelfsema, Chris M; Comley, James (2014): Benthic and substrate cover data derived from photo-transect surveys in Kadavu, Fiji on June, July, October and November 2009. Dataset https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.831257 , 

  • Roelfsema CM, SR Phinn, S Jupiter, J Comley S. Albert. (2013): Habitat map of Kubulau, Fiji derived from a high-spatial-resolution multi-spectral satellite image using object based image analysis.. Dataset https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.830076 

  • Roelfsema CM, SR Phinn, S Jupiter, J Comley S. Albert. (2013): Habitat map of Kadavu, Fiji derived from a high-spatial-resolution multi-spectral satellite image using object based image analysis.. Dataset https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.824953 

  • Roelfsema, Chris M; Phinn, Stuart R (2013): Spectral reflectance library of selected biotic and abiotic coral reef features in Glovers Reef, Belize. Biophysical Remote Sensing Group, Centre for Spatial Environmental Research, University of Queensland, Australia, Dataset https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.824861 

  • Roelfsema, Chris M; Phinn, Stuart R (2013): GPS linked target-photos of benthic cover surveys in Glovers Reef, Belize. Biophysical     Remote Sensing Group, Centre for Spatial Environmental Research, University of Queensland, Australia, Dataset https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.824860  

  • Saunders, Megan I; Roelfsema, Chris M; Phinn, Stuart R; Canto, Robert Franklin C; Brown, Christopher J; Atkinson, Scott; Leon, Javier X (2013): Benthic and substrate cover data derived from photo-transect surveys in Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef conducted on October 3-7, 2012. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.807406   

  • Saunders, Megan I; Roelfsema, Chris M; Phinn, Stuart R; Canto, Robert Franklin C; Brown, Christopher J; Leon, Javier X (2013): Benthic and substrate cover data derived from photo-transect surveys in Lizard Island Reef conducted on December 10-15, 2011. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.807404