NEPR World View 2 Satellite Mosaic - NOAA TIFF Image

This GeoTiff is a mosaic of World View 2 panchromatic satellite imagery of Northeast Puerto Rico that contains the shallow water area (0-35m deep) surrounding Northeast Puerto Rico and Culebra Island. The WV2 imagery was processed using ArcGIS tools to cloudmask, deglint and water-column correct the image (Lyzenga method) then using PCI imagery analysis to create a continues, color balanced mosaic. The DigitalGlobe WV2 is a commercial high resolution (0.5m - 1.5m) multi-spectral satellite that surveyed the NEPR area in 2011-2013. The enhanced Red, Green, Blue and Near Infrared 1 bands allowed the Biogeography branch to delineate habitats using feature extraction tools in Envi 5.1 software. The multispectral bands were analyzed to detect coral reefs and seagrass beds under the surface of the water, as well as features above the surface, such as mangroves, salt ponds, and the shoreline edges. The WV2 mosaic, the bathymetry model, principle component analysis, and aerial imagery were all used integrally to create the NEPR Benthic Habitat Map.

The WV2 satellite mosaic was used along with the bathymetry model, principle component analysis, and aerial imagery to characterize sea floor topography of the NEPR and to create benthic habitat maps, helping NOAA meet its mapping commitment to the US Coral Reef Task Force. The resulting publicly-distributed data is also a contribution to the greater scientific community interested in the Caribbean seafloor. The spatial products developed for this habitat model will: (1) inform local managers as to the current distribution of resources, (2) provide a point of comparison for past and future mapping efforts, (3) help locate sensitive marine communities, and (4) guide monitoring efforts and prioritize management actions.

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These data were prepared by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, make any warranty, expressed or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed in this report, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference therein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. Any views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof. Although all data have been used by NOAA, no warranty, expressed or implied, is made by NOAA as to the accuracy of the data and/or related materials. The act of distribution shall not constitute any such warranty, and no responsibility is assumed by NOAA in the use of these data or related materials.

Please cite any use of this data.

Note: NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION. These data were prepared by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, make any warranty, expressed or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed in this report, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference therein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. Any views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof. Although all data have been used by NOAA, no warranty, expressed or implied, is made by NOAA as to the accuracy of the data and/or related materials. The act of distribution shall not constitute any such warranty, and no responsibility is assumed by NOAA in the use of these data or related materials.

Microsoft Windows 7; ESRI ArcCatalog 10.1

See NOAA Technical Memorandum: Benthic Habitats of Northeast Puerto Rico and Culebra Island

See NOAA Technical Memorandum: Benthic Habitats of Northeast Puerto Rico and Culebra Island

This mosaic was masked for clouds and color balanced into a seamless mosaic, however certain areas contained no data due to total coverage of clouds. The final mosaic was processed with a median filtered to remove noise, and to fill small gaps in coverage.

All users should independently analyze the dataset according to their own needs and standards to determine data usability.