Regional High-Resolution Benthic Habitat Data from Planet Dove Imagery for Conservation Decision-Making and Marine Planning
This study presents the first high‑resolution regional benthic habitat map of the Insular Caribbean using PlanetScope Dove imagery and object‑based image analysis. Mapping over 200,000 km² of shallow habitats, the results provide an accurate ecological baseline to support marine spatial planning, protected area design, ecosystem service modeling, and long‑term monitoring of coastal and marine ecosystems.
Subject Tags
- Reefs
- Marine protected areas
- Coastal
Abstract
High-resolution benthic habitat data fill an important knowledge gap for many areas of the world and are essential for strategic marine conservation planning and implementing effective resource management. Many countries lack the resources and capacity to create these products, which has hindered the development of accurate ecological baselines for assessing protection needs for coastal and marine habitats and monitoring change to guide adaptive management actions. The PlanetScope (PS) Dove Classic SmallSat constellation delivers high-resolution imagery (4 m) and near-daily global coverage that facilitates the compilation of a cloud-free and optimal water column image composite of the Caribbean’s nearshore environment. These data were used to develop a first-of-its-kind regional thirteen-class benthic habitat map to 30 m water depth using an object-based image analysis (OBIA) approach. A total of 203,676 km2 of shallow benthic habitat across the Insular Caribbean was mapped, representing 5% coral reef, 43% seagrass, 15% hardbottom, and 37% other habitats. Results from a combined major class accuracy assessment yielded an overall accuracy of 80% with a standard error of less than 1% yielding a confidence interval of 78–82%. Of the total area mapped, 15% of these habitats (31,311.7 km2) are within a marine protected or managed area. This information provides a baseline of ecological data for developing and executing more strategic conservation actions, including implementing more effective marine spatial plans, prioritizing and improving marine protected area design, monitoring condition and change for post-storm damage assessments, and providing more accurate habitat data for ecosystem service models.
Citation
Schill, S. R., McNulty, V. P., Pollock, F. J., Lüthje, F., Li, J., Knapp, D. E., ... & Asner, G. P. (2021). Regional high-resolution benthic habitat data from planet dove imagery for conservation decision-making and marine planning. Remote Sensing, 13(21), 4215.
TNC Authors
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Steve Schill
Lead Scientist • Caribbean
The Nature Conservancy
Email: sschill@tnc.org -
Valerie McNulty
Conservation Scientist • Caribbean
The Nature Conservancy
Email: valerie.mcnulty@tnc.org -
Joseph Pollock
Sr. Reef Strategy Lead • Hawaii
The Nature Conservancy
Email: joseph.pollock@tnc.org -
Ximena Escovar-Fadul
Associate Global Director, Nature Bonds • Protect Oceans, Lands and Waters
The Nature Conservancy
Email: ximena.escovar@tnc.org