variety of applications, the system is assessed in terms of whether it is optimal for the
project or sub-optimal but merits consideration. In their assessment of spaceborne
versus airborne or in situ observations, the authors write that they should not be viewed
as redundant or competitive. Rather, all systems have their limitations, which are
countered by relevant data from another system or systems. One must be aware of the
issues surrounding each data source to be able to bring together an ensemble of data to
address the management problem. We have progressed beyond the hype and
overselling of the 1980s and 1990s and now have a good understanding of what each
satellite service can deliver. The assessments in the Tables of this chapter will be a
much needed resource for the coastal manager, and web sites that provide updates are
given in the Conclusions section.
The primary message that Phinn et al. (Chapter 10) contribute is that coastal
management must include three components that, in reality, are a continuum. This
continuum includes initial baseline mapping and inventory (a starting snapshot in time),
monitoring (the mapped and measured changes through time) and modeling
(understanding how the system works and what will be the results of changing stressors
through time). The authors detail the conceptual basis for their approach to linking
environmental indicators to remote sensing data, and present the derived information to
policy makers and stakeholders of various types. An increasingly important component
of management decisions is the impact and cause of environmental change, a problem
that temporal assemblages of image data are well suited to tackle. There are, however,
several technical issues to be addressed, such as precision in registering one image to
another, normalization of radiometric scales, correction of atmospheric attenuation, and
the procedure used to detect and identify change. Furthermore, change detection
involves greater complexity in validation procedures. In some applications when
archive images are used, the confirmation at the earlier date may not be possible. The
recent challenge to the analyst is the inclusion of increased spatial and spectral
information of the new generation of satellites. These systems promise more
information but this must be balanced against the validity of comparison with earlier
data. The authors provide a balanced assessment of the real validity of incorporating
remote sensing into a management cycle and highlight the following research
objectives to improve the value of remote sensing: “1) the identification and
development of algorithms (and related spectral resolution) to relate reef bio-optical
properties with relevant biophysical controls; 2) further development of techniques to
remove the attenuating effects of the overlying water column; 3) greater incorporation
of biogeochemical cycles (e.g. climatic and oceanographic data) with remote sensing
data to understand the processes that influence the biology of reefs and their subsequent
bio-optical properties; and 4) evaluation and increased utilization of a greater range of
image data sources” (Phinn et al., Chapter 10).
The authors provide an example of the use of remote sensing of an intrusive algal
bloom in a regional management application in southeast Queensland, Australia. There
is particular attention paid to the details of the technical process and involvement of,
and communication with, the local community. As such, it is a benchmark case study
for coastal managers who need to assess the potential of remote sensing for their
particular program.
Newman et al. (Chapter 11) provided a complement to the coastal and water
surface focus of Whitehouse and Hutt of Chapter 9 and concentrate on the remote
sensing and management of tropical coral reefs. Typically these are found in regions of
developing economies where the is a conflict between the need to effectively manage
the resource, perhaps as a coral reef marine protected area (CRMPA), and project it
313
Recommendations for Scientists and Managers
project or sub-optimal but merits consideration. In their assessment of spaceborne
versus airborne or in situ observations, the authors write that they should not be viewed
as redundant or competitive. Rather, all systems have their limitations, which are
countered by relevant data from another system or systems. One must be aware of the
issues surrounding each data source to be able to bring together an ensemble of data to
address the management problem. We have progressed beyond the hype and
overselling of the 1980s and 1990s and now have a good understanding of what each
satellite service can deliver. The assessments in the Tables of this chapter will be a
much needed resource for the coastal manager, and web sites that provide updates are
given in the Conclusions section.
The primary message that Phinn et al. (Chapter 10) contribute is that coastal
management must include three components that, in reality, are a continuum. This
continuum includes initial baseline mapping and inventory (a starting snapshot in time),
monitoring (the mapped and measured changes through time) and modeling
(understanding how the system works and what will be the results of changing stressors
through time). The authors detail the conceptual basis for their approach to linking
environmental indicators to remote sensing data, and present the derived information to
policy makers and stakeholders of various types. An increasingly important component
of management decisions is the impact and cause of environmental change, a problem
that temporal assemblages of image data are well suited to tackle. There are, however,
several technical issues to be addressed, such as precision in registering one image to
another, normalization of radiometric scales, correction of atmospheric attenuation, and
the procedure used to detect and identify change. Furthermore, change detection
involves greater complexity in validation procedures. In some applications when
archive images are used, the confirmation at the earlier date may not be possible. The
recent challenge to the analyst is the inclusion of increased spatial and spectral
information of the new generation of satellites. These systems promise more
information but this must be balanced against the validity of comparison with earlier
data. The authors provide a balanced assessment of the real validity of incorporating
remote sensing into a management cycle and highlight the following research
objectives to improve the value of remote sensing: “1) the identification and
development of algorithms (and related spectral resolution) to relate reef bio-optical
properties with relevant biophysical controls; 2) further development of techniques to
remove the attenuating effects of the overlying water column; 3) greater incorporation
of biogeochemical cycles (e.g. climatic and oceanographic data) with remote sensing
data to understand the processes that influence the biology of reefs and their subsequent
bio-optical properties; and 4) evaluation and increased utilization of a greater range of
image data sources” (Phinn et al., Chapter 10).
The authors provide an example of the use of remote sensing of an intrusive algal
bloom in a regional management application in southeast Queensland, Australia. There
is particular attention paid to the details of the technical process and involvement of,
and communication with, the local community. As such, it is a benchmark case study
for coastal managers who need to assess the potential of remote sensing for their
particular program.
Newman et al. (Chapter 11) provided a complement to the coastal and water
surface focus of Whitehouse and Hutt of Chapter 9 and concentrate on the remote
sensing and management of tropical coral reefs. Typically these are found in regions of
developing economies where the is a conflict between the need to effectively manage
the resource, perhaps as a coral reef marine protected area (CRMPA), and project it
313
Recommendations for Scientists and Managers