Rapid Environmental Assessment Methodology (REAM) of Coral Reef Ecosystems at the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center (AUTEC) on Andros Island, Bahamas.

摘要

The Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center (AUTEC) was established in the 1960s to meet the Navy's research, development, test and evaluation requirements. AUTEC is an undersea instrumented test facility located in the Tongue of the Ocean (TOTO) off the east coast of Andros Island in the Bahamas. The facility is adjacent to one of the largest near-shore coral reef ecosystems in the world. As part of the Navy's environmental stewardship, AUTEC has developed a baseline reef assessment methodology using high-resolution imagery data obtained from the IKONOS satellite and light detection and ranging (LIDAR) data. Analysis of these data allows for: (1) the determination of the presence of reef structure in and around the waters adjacent to the AUTEC facility; (2) the classification of reefs into general groups, such as patch reef, reef crest, and fore reef; and (3) the assessment of the reef development in terms of long-term sustained growth. This report describes the methodology used in developing of the baseline coral reef assessment using remotely sensed data, results derived from the analysis of the data, and the verification of the methodology using in situ data collected by independent researchers.