Assessing the Potential of Remotely-Sensed Drone Spectroscopy to Determine Live Coral Cover on Heron Reef
Coral reefs, as biologically diverse ecosystems, hold significant ecological and economic value. With increased threats imposed on them, it is increasingly important to monitor reef health by developing accessible methods to quantify coral cover. Discriminating between substrate types has previously...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-04-01
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| Series: | Drones |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/5/2/29 |
| _version_ | 1797537313547354112 |
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| author | Valerie J. Cornet Karen E. Joyce |
| author_facet | Valerie J. Cornet Karen E. Joyce |
| author_sort | Valerie J. Cornet |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Coral reefs, as biologically diverse ecosystems, hold significant ecological and economic value. With increased threats imposed on them, it is increasingly important to monitor reef health by developing accessible methods to quantify coral cover. Discriminating between substrate types has previously been achieved with in situ spectroscopy but has not been tested using drones. In this study, we test the ability of using point-based drone spectroscopy to determine substrate cover through spectral unmixing on a portion of Heron Reef, Australia. A spectral mixture analysis was conducted to separate the components contributing to spectral signatures obtained across the reef. The pure spectra used to unmix measured data include live coral, algae, sand, and rock, obtained from a public spectral library. These were able to account for over 82% of the spectral mixing captured in each spectroscopy measurement, highlighting the benefits of using a public database. The unmixing results were then compared to a categorical classification on an overlapping mosaicked drone image but yielded inconclusive results due to challenges in co-registration. This study uniquely showcases the potential of using commercial-grade drones and point spectroscopy in mapping complex environments. This can pave the way for future research, by increasing access to repeatable, effective, and affordable technology. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T12:13:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4e8f701cf3e7426cb964a0de4a07388e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2504-446X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T12:13:20Z |
| publishDate | 2021-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Drones |
| spelling | doaj.art-4e8f701cf3e7426cb964a0de4a07388e2023-11-21T16:00:16ZengMDPI AGDrones2504-446X2021-04-01522910.3390/drones5020029Assessing the Potential of Remotely-Sensed Drone Spectroscopy to Determine Live Coral Cover on Heron ReefValerie J. Cornet0Karen E. Joyce1College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University Bebegu Yumba Campus, Townsville, QLD 4811, AustraliaCollege of Science and Engineering/TropWATER, James Cook University Nguma-bada Campus, Cairns, QLD 4878, AustraliaCoral reefs, as biologically diverse ecosystems, hold significant ecological and economic value. With increased threats imposed on them, it is increasingly important to monitor reef health by developing accessible methods to quantify coral cover. Discriminating between substrate types has previously been achieved with in situ spectroscopy but has not been tested using drones. In this study, we test the ability of using point-based drone spectroscopy to determine substrate cover through spectral unmixing on a portion of Heron Reef, Australia. A spectral mixture analysis was conducted to separate the components contributing to spectral signatures obtained across the reef. The pure spectra used to unmix measured data include live coral, algae, sand, and rock, obtained from a public spectral library. These were able to account for over 82% of the spectral mixing captured in each spectroscopy measurement, highlighting the benefits of using a public database. The unmixing results were then compared to a categorical classification on an overlapping mosaicked drone image but yielded inconclusive results due to challenges in co-registration. This study uniquely showcases the potential of using commercial-grade drones and point spectroscopy in mapping complex environments. This can pave the way for future research, by increasing access to repeatable, effective, and affordable technology.https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/5/2/29remote sensingcoral reefsdroneslinear unmixingRGoogle Earth Engine |
| spellingShingle | Valerie J. Cornet Karen E. Joyce Assessing the Potential of Remotely-Sensed Drone Spectroscopy to Determine Live Coral Cover on Heron Reef Drones remote sensing coral reefs drones linear unmixing R Google Earth Engine |
| title | Assessing the Potential of Remotely-Sensed Drone Spectroscopy to Determine Live Coral Cover on Heron Reef |
| title_full | Assessing the Potential of Remotely-Sensed Drone Spectroscopy to Determine Live Coral Cover on Heron Reef |
| title_fullStr | Assessing the Potential of Remotely-Sensed Drone Spectroscopy to Determine Live Coral Cover on Heron Reef |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessing the Potential of Remotely-Sensed Drone Spectroscopy to Determine Live Coral Cover on Heron Reef |
| title_short | Assessing the Potential of Remotely-Sensed Drone Spectroscopy to Determine Live Coral Cover on Heron Reef |
| title_sort | assessing the potential of remotely sensed drone spectroscopy to determine live coral cover on heron reef |
| topic | remote sensing coral reefs drones linear unmixing R Google Earth Engine |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/5/2/29 |
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