Sapna Batish

Protecting Coral Ecosystems from Land-based Pollution: Use of Landsat Satellite Imagery for Coastal Management and Policy Sapna Batish

Coral ecosystems, both fragile and high in biological diversity, are impacted negatively by pollutant runoff from land. It has been difficult to make a direct connection between the long-term runoff of pollutants from a coastal watershed with coral ecosystem decline at the watershed base. This book details whether Landsat satellite imagery can be used to demonstrate and to quantify this connection. Landsat images of the U. S. Virgin Islands were processed and analyzed to quantify changes in terrestrial and coral habitats for the 1985-2001 period. The analysis indicated a definitive shift from live, healthy coral to dead, algae-covered coral in watersheds where forests had been converted to developed land. This analysis should help environmental groups and policy makers desirous of implementing land use regulations that protect coral habitats from land-based pollution. The study may also be of use to researchers interested in finding a cost-effective way to identify watersheds that require a more detailed analysis or to coastal managers interested in determining which coral ecosystems should be prioritized for protective measures.