different patch-reef populations, and infer differences from changing sea-level
regimes during the Early versus Late Holocene (Brock et al. 2008).
Other types of active remote sensors (i.e., acoustic systems; Chaps. 8–10) are
available to map coral reef geomorphology, and may be the only viable option for
mapping the seafloor in turbid and/or deep ([30 m) water. However, in other
situations (e.g., in clear, shallow waters), LiDAR can be more time and cost
efficient at certain spatial resolutions (C4 9 4 m), allowing for large areas of
shallow and emergent seafloor to be rapidly mapped (Costa et al. 2009). With the
increasing construction of LiDAR sensors and the lowering cost of data acquisition
combined with opportunities for data fusion (e.g., hyperspectral; Chap. 7), LiDAR
is becoming a viable technology for a wide range of geomorphological studies. For
instance, in the Molokai case study, the fusion of LiDAR and aerial imagery
provided enhanced information about marine geomorphology in the coastal
environment (Field et al. 2008; Storlazzi et al. 2008, 2003). Walker et al. (2008)
similarly combined aerial photography and laser bathymetry to map coral reefs,
but also integrated acoustic ground discrimination and sub-bottom profiling into a
GIS environment to support mapping efforts. In addition, bathymetric DEMs
produced using the Hawk Eye LiDAR system in Spain were combined with
multispectral imagery to enhance coastal habitat classification and mapping efforts
(Chust et al. 2010). Understanding the geomorphology of coral reefs from a threedimensional perspective, and across a range of spatial scales, offers great potential
to advance our knowledge of the functional linkages between geomorphic structure and ecological processes.
6.2.6 Coastal Sediment Management
LiDAR supports engineering projects by acquiring seamless topographic elevations and seafloor depths, which can be used to calculate relative sediment area for
regional sediment management. The goals of coastal sediment management are to
increase efficiency of dredging operations through an understanding of coastal
processes, and to provide a regional context for coastal projects so that they can be
managed as a system of projects, rather than individual projects (Wozencraft and
Millar 2005). The Regional Sediment Management Demonstration Program
(RSMDP) has provided opportunities to show how broad scale, high resolution,
bathymetric and topographic data can be used to identify sediment transport
pathways and to reliably calculate spatial distribution of relative sediment volumes
for regional sediment budgets (Wozencraft and Irish 2000). The RSMDP
encompasses 360 km of shoreline in the Gulf of Mexico, stretching from Dauphin
Island, Alabama east to Apalachicola Bay, Florida. In this area, approximately five
million topographic and bathymetric LiDAR soundings were collected using the
SHOALS system from 1995 to 2000. The SHOALS system was developed by
USACE in the early 1990s as a tool for monitoring near-shore marine environments and later for coastal terrestrial environments. The SHOALS system is made
6 LiDAR Applications
161
regimes during the Early versus Late Holocene (Brock et al. 2008).
Other types of active remote sensors (i.e., acoustic systems; Chaps. 8–10) are
available to map coral reef geomorphology, and may be the only viable option for
mapping the seafloor in turbid and/or deep ([30 m) water. However, in other
situations (e.g., in clear, shallow waters), LiDAR can be more time and cost
efficient at certain spatial resolutions (C4 9 4 m), allowing for large areas of
shallow and emergent seafloor to be rapidly mapped (Costa et al. 2009). With the
increasing construction of LiDAR sensors and the lowering cost of data acquisition
combined with opportunities for data fusion (e.g., hyperspectral; Chap. 7), LiDAR
is becoming a viable technology for a wide range of geomorphological studies. For
instance, in the Molokai case study, the fusion of LiDAR and aerial imagery
provided enhanced information about marine geomorphology in the coastal
environment (Field et al. 2008; Storlazzi et al. 2008, 2003). Walker et al. (2008)
similarly combined aerial photography and laser bathymetry to map coral reefs,
but also integrated acoustic ground discrimination and sub-bottom profiling into a
GIS environment to support mapping efforts. In addition, bathymetric DEMs
produced using the Hawk Eye LiDAR system in Spain were combined with
multispectral imagery to enhance coastal habitat classification and mapping efforts
(Chust et al. 2010). Understanding the geomorphology of coral reefs from a threedimensional perspective, and across a range of spatial scales, offers great potential
to advance our knowledge of the functional linkages between geomorphic structure and ecological processes.
6.2.6 Coastal Sediment Management
LiDAR supports engineering projects by acquiring seamless topographic elevations and seafloor depths, which can be used to calculate relative sediment area for
regional sediment management. The goals of coastal sediment management are to
increase efficiency of dredging operations through an understanding of coastal
processes, and to provide a regional context for coastal projects so that they can be
managed as a system of projects, rather than individual projects (Wozencraft and
Millar 2005). The Regional Sediment Management Demonstration Program
(RSMDP) has provided opportunities to show how broad scale, high resolution,
bathymetric and topographic data can be used to identify sediment transport
pathways and to reliably calculate spatial distribution of relative sediment volumes
for regional sediment budgets (Wozencraft and Irish 2000). The RSMDP
encompasses 360 km of shoreline in the Gulf of Mexico, stretching from Dauphin
Island, Alabama east to Apalachicola Bay, Florida. In this area, approximately five
million topographic and bathymetric LiDAR soundings were collected using the
SHOALS system from 1995 to 2000. The SHOALS system was developed by
USACE in the early 1990s as a tool for monitoring near-shore marine environments and later for coastal terrestrial environments. The SHOALS system is made
6 LiDAR Applications
161