Safege - Projects

A multidisciplinary engineering capability

High-resolution mapping of marine biotic communities and coastal habitats in Réunion and the Iles Eparses using remote sensing techniques

Background

A knowledge of the location and conservation status of benthic communities is one of the keys to the integrated management of coastal areas. Mapping surveys and ecological assessments are thus an important part of initiatives like port and harbour developments, mooring plans, marine outfall construction, establishment of marine protected areas and environmental action plans.

Such studies, which are at once descriptive and analytical, also have a part to play in advance of feasibility studies or impact assessments of the type required under the French Water Act.

Services provided

Actimar, SAFEGE’s operational oceanography subsidiary, are specialists in airborne remote sensing and the installation and operation of high frequency radar systems.

Aircraft-mounted active sensors (LiDAR) and passive optical sensors were used to collect bathymetric and cartographic data of coastal habitats at very high spatial resolutions (up to 50cm per pixel).

Actimar used airborne hypospectral imaging and lidar hydrographic surveys in studies of the Réunion and the Iles Eparses Indian Ocean islands. As part of its first operational project under the Litto3D© programme (French national programme to create a 3D model of the French coastline), Actimar also conducted an underwater spectroradiometry survey and developed a methodology for mapping biodiversity and coral reef health based on submarine and airborne data.


	Location:		Réunion and Iles des Eparses (Indian Ocean)
	Client:		Service Hydrographique et Océanographique de la Marine (SHOM)
	Date:		2010-2011

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