Accessible Methodology for Monitoring Estuarine and Coastal Vegetation Cover, 2000

This project was funded by the Cooperative Institute for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology (CICEET), a cooperative effort between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the University of New Hampshire. The purpose of this project is to develop a method to map the extent of the intertidal habitats of Padilla Bay and monitor change in the spatial extent of the habitats over an 11-year period.

Click here to download the methods report from this project. (PDF 4.4 MB)

Monitoring the Distribution of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation in Padilla Bay, NERR--SWMP Biomonitoring Pilot Site, 2004

The distribution and extent of submerged and emergent estuarine vegetation in Padilla Bay were mapped using on-screen delineation and photo interpretation of true-color orthophotography guided by ground reference data. Polygons representing the vegetated and non-vegetated areas were delineated and attributed in an ArcGIS 9.0 Personal Geodatabase (ESRI) schema.

This report describes the methods used in: image acquisition, image processing, classification schema and geodatabase construction, ground reference data collection, on-screen delineation, quality assurance/quality control checking, and change detection between 2000 and 2004.

Click here to download the Final Report (PDF, 2.4 MB)

Click here to view the Coastal Services Center article about this project titled “Budget-Conscious Coastal Vegetation Mapping in Washington”