Coral reef change detection using Landsats 5 and 7: a case study using Carysfort Reef in the Florida Keys

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Satellite data allow for the relatively quick assessment of benthic habitats and can be used for change-detection studies. Landsats 5 and 7, with the Thematic Mapper (TM) and Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) sensors, respectively, provide the longest time series of satellite observations available for coastal researchers. From 1984 to the present, TM (for U.S.) and ETM+ (worldwide), images are abundant for change detection analysis over coral reefs, especially since the inception of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)/United States Geological Survey (USGS) Long Term Acquisition Plan (LTAP). The LTAP was implemented to repeatedly and systematically gather Landsat 7/ETM+ data for specific remote sensing of niche communities, i.e., coral reefs. To properly use these data, a minimum set of corrections needs to be made: noise reduction correction, atmospheric: correction, normalization, and ground-truthing. A time series was produced for Carysfort Reef in the Florida Keys from four Landsat 5 and one Landsat 7 images spanning 1984 to 1999. A Mahalanobis distance classification was undertaken to identify four benthic classes: coral-dominated, sand, algae, and substrate. The results were compared to an in situ database, which included transect and monitoring station data, as well as an aerial photograph. In situ data revealed that Carysfort Reef underwent an extreme loss in coral cover between 1983 and 1999, from 50% coral cover to 4% coral cover, representing a loss of 92% of coral cover. Over a similar time period, Landsat data estimated similar losses, from 33% coral cover to 7% coral cover, which represents a 79% loss in coral cover or coral-dominated area.