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Example of coral reef habitat delineation from an aerial photograph. |
Effective benthic habitat mapping relies on the ability to separate one habitat type from another. Habitat delineation refers to the process of identifying the boundaries between different habitats. The detail of habitat delineation for a particular benthic habitat map depends upon both the spatial scale of the final map and the scale of the habitat under investigation.
Most marine habitats do not have distinct boundaries, which increases the difficulty of effective habitat delineation. Sediments, for example, are characterized by gradual transitions between size classes. In a GIS, boundaries between habitats are expressed as georeferenced lines, polygons, or raster cells. The precise location of these boundaries is determined by the resolution of the survey data and the habitat scale.
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Figures illustrating delineation of geologic substrate from a side-scan
sonar mosaic and subsequent delineation of micro-scale habitats using
higher resolution data. |