Monitoring coral reefs in Belize using remote sensing was a five-month Earth Observation demonstration carried out by the Marine Spatial Ecology Lab at the University of Exeter within the framework of the European Space Agency Earth Observation Market Development programme, in support of the World Bank. The project aimed to ascertain the potential of Earth Observation data for monitoring the health of, and stressors acting upon, coral reefs off the coast of Belize. Outcomes of the project included data layers demonstrating spatial variation in habitats, temperature regimes, wave exposure and the movement of larvae from one reef to another. abcGIS were responsible for the development of the project website demonstrating the aims, methods and outputs of the project.
Project Features
The website includes an interactive map capable of displaying and querying environmental, ecological and biological data layers. The website enables the clients and their partners to identify the location of important marine habitats, connections among them and the spatial distribution of stressors, thereby supporting environmental monitoring and the management of coral reefs in the area.