NOAA-ECSC Geospatial Analysis
Students in ECSC receive training in geospatial technologies to study vegetation attributes, optical constituents of water quality, and additional spatially relevant information. The ECSC Geospatial Analysis Thematic Area is linked with several NOAA Strategic Plan goals, particularly Coastal and Marine Resources (wetland and submerged vegetation and open water habitats), Ecosystem Observations (primary producer biomass, biophysical parameters of vegetation canopies, and metrics for ecosystem health), and Forecasting for Coasts and Estuaries (phytoplankton bloom detection).
Geospatial activities in the ECSC, such as our airborne hyperspectral image measurements, are not an end to themselves; rather we view these activities as a tool for training and research across the Center's other thematic research areas. In planning our research activities, we consider the applicability of our data sets as spatially explicit inputs for the valued ecological components (VECs) and stressors in the ECSC Integrated Assessment models. Our work has built strong relationships among member schools and their NERR partners, while addressing site-specific research questions and cross-cutting themes.
The geospatial Thematic Area is an active component for student training and faculty and program development at ECSC partner schools, and for investigations to support management objectives and address relevant research issues at our partner NERR sites. Since Fall 2002, airborne AISA hyperspectral imagery has been collected at five NERR sites (Apalachicola, ACE Basin, Grand Bay, Delaware Bay, and Maryland Chesapeake Bay) and their vicinities. The CALMIT geospatial science group at the UNL acquires imagery (1 and 2 m pixel resolution, for vegetation and water targets) and provides georectification and normalization to reflectance at aircraft elevation. These activities involve a substantial number of students and faculty across our Center.
The Center's hyperspectral imagery data, metadata, and field ground truthing data are archived at both FAMU and Creighton University, and freely distributed to collaborating groups (available on the ECSC website). Extensive field surveys for ground truthing, construction of spectral libraries, and algorithm development occur with each flyover. Ocean Optics USB2000 spectroradiometer instruments, used pair-wise for simultaneous solar downwelling and target upwelling, provide close-range spectral reflectance data utilizing CALMIT's proprietary CDAP software. One to several pairs of these instruments, supported by CALMIT calibration and training, are now available for student and faculty use at five ECSC schools (CU, DSU, FAMU, MSU, and UNL). Additionally, GIS approaches are introduced to students and used to assemble diverse spatial data sets, including digital orthoquads, satellite imagery and classifications, and attributes such as elevation and bathymetry. Differential-correction GPS units are used extensively in our field projects, e.g., rectification of hyperspectral imagery and location of vegetation sampling plots.
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