| The "Millennium Coral Reef Mapping Project" Geomorphological Reef Map
By using a consistent dataset of high-resolution (30 meter) multispectral Landsat 7 images acquired between 1999 and 2003,
Institute for Marine Remote Sensing (http://imars.marine.usf.edu/corals/index.html)
at the University of South Florida is
developing the first global uniform map of shallow coral reef ecosystems. The
program aims to highlight similarities and differences between reef structures
at a scale never before considered by traditional work based on field studies.
The project has included an unprecedented standardization of geomorphological
structures for reefs around the world. It will provide a reliable, spatially
constrained data set for biogeochemical budgets, biodiversity assessment, reef
structure comparisons and will also provide new high-quality information for
reef managers about reef location, distribution and extent. The maps are
constructed scene-by-scene, with mosaics produced for selected locations.
Extensive details on the mapping philosophy, global classification scheme,
and other aspects of the project are available online at the
Millennium Coral Reef Mapping (http://imars.marine.usf.edu/corals/index.html)
website. The project is scheduled for completion in Summer 2004.
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