HR: 0800h
AN: OS51C-1311    [Abstracts]
TI: Radiative Transfer Modeling, Spectral Analysis, and Remote Sensing of Coral Reefs
AU: * Guild, L
EM: Liane.S.Guild@nasa.gov
AF: NASA Ames Research Center, Ecosystem Science and Technology Branch, MS 242-4, Moffett Field, CA 94035 United States
AU: Ganapol, B
EM: ganapol@cowboy.ame.arizona.edu
AF: University of Arizona, Dept. of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, Tucson, AZ 85722 United States
AU: Furfaro, R
EM: robertof@email.arizona.edu
AF: University of Arizona, Dept. of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, Tucson, AZ 85722 United States
AU: Kramer, P
EM: pkramer@rsmas.miami.edu
AF: University of Miami, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, 4600 Rickenbacker Cswy, Miami, FL 33149 United States
AU: Armstrong, R
EM: roy@cacique.uprm.edu
AF: University of Puerto Rico, Dept. of Marine Sciences, Mayaguez, PR 00681 United States
AU: Gleason, A
EM: art.gleason@miami.edu
AF: University of Miami, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, 4600 Rickenbacker Cswy, Miami, FL 33149 United States
AU: Torres, J
EM: jtorres@caribe.edu
AF: University of Puerto Rico, Dept. of Marine Sciences, Mayaguez, PR 00681 United States
AB: The calcium carbonate structures of tropical coral reefs protect coastlines from storms, create habitats for the world's greatest marine biodiversity, provide nurseries for many marine species; play essential roles in carbon and CO2 cycles, are major protein sources for many local populations, and are vital for sustainable economies of many societies. The world's reefs are in peril due to climate change and anthropogenic activity caused by rapidly growing populations in coastal zones. An important contribution to coral reef research is improved spectral distinction of reef components indicative of reef condition, including physical and biological degradation. Unfortunately, relatively little is known concerning the spectral properties of coral or how coral architecture reflect/transmit light. New insights into optical processes of corals can lead to improved interpretation of remote sensing data and forecasting of immediate or long-term impacts such as bleaching and disease in coral and algal overgrowth. We are investigating the spatial/spectral properties required to remotely sense changes in reef biological and physical properties by coupling spectral analysis of in situ spectra with a new coral-specific radiative transfer model. The first model development phase (CorMOD) imposes a scattering baseline that is constant regardless of coral condition, and further specifies that coral is optically thick. Evolution of the model is towards a coral-specific radiative transfer model that includes coral biochemical concentrations, specific absorptivities of coral components, and transmission measurements from coral surfaces. We present our field collected in situ spectra and resultant output relative absorption profiles of coral from CorMOD. Further, we will present NASA AVIRIS data and in situ spectra collection of coral and seagrass to support the AVIRIS mission that was collected during August 2004 for Florida Keys and Puerto Rico.
UR: http://geo.arc.nasa.gov/sge/coral-health/
DE: 4815 Ecosystems, structure and dynamics
DE: 4847 Optics
DE: 1635 Oceans (4203)
DE: 1640 Remote sensing
SC: Ocean Sciences [OS]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting