Benthic Resource Baseline Mapping of Cakaunisasi and Yarawa Reef Ecosystem in the Ba Region of Fiji
| Autor: | Anish Maharaj, Ashneel Ajay Singh, Priyatma Singh |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2021 |
| Předmět: |
Votua
0106 biological sciences supervised classification lcsh:Hydraulic engineering Resource (biology) 010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences Geography Planning and Development Aquatic Science satellite imagery 01 natural sciences Biochemistry lcsh:Water supply for domestic and industrial purposes lcsh:TC1-978 Resource management Satellite imagery Baseline (configuration management) Reef accuracy assessment 0105 earth and related environmental sciences Water Science and Technology lcsh:TD201-500 geography geography.geographical_feature_category biology business.industry 010604 marine biology & hydrobiology Environmental resource management GIS biology.organism_classification WorldView2 Seagrass Benthic zone coastal resource habitat map Marine protected area benthic cover business |
| Zdroj: | Water Volume 13 Issue 4 Water, Vol 13, Iss 468, p 468 (2021) |
| ISSN: | 2073-4441 |
| Popis: | Coastal habitats form a critical source of livelihood for a large number of inhabitants in Fiji. The absence of historical and baseline information creates a significant challenge in effectively designing suitable management plans. This study aimed at developing reliable benthic cover maps of village intertidal resource harvest areas (Cakaunisasi and Yarawa reefs) and anthropogenic perceptions of Votua Village in the Ba region of Fiji for better resource management planning and monitoring. Images captured by the WorldView2 satellite were used as a base for mapping out the resources. Data logging on-site, Global Positioning System (GPS) recordings, local interviews and high-resolution video capturing were utilised for ground-truthing techniques. Six classes of benthic cover were identified, which included algae, coral, sand and gravel, buried reef, coral rubble and seagrass. Accuracy assessment and supervised classification were done using ground reference points. There was an existing marine protected area (MPA) on the Yarawa reef, which did not seem to be working as well as anticipated by observing the habitat maps of the two reefs. Baseline maps constructed here and possibly ecosystem maps can allow for monitoring of the existing MPA as well as the formation of a new and more informed MPA. The maps generated in this study serve as baseline information about resource distribution on Cakaunisasi and Yarawa reefs to inform management decisions. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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