Mapping Marine Macrophytes along the Atlantic Coast of Tierra Del Fuego (Argentina) by Remote Sensing

Abstract

A discontinuous series of rocky formations with variable dimensions exist along the intertidal zones in the eastern coast of Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, where an abundance of marine macrophytes grow, such as Macrocystis pyrifera forming subaquatic “forests”. This large amount of algae forms true fauna reservoirs and provide potential stocks for deriving industrial algae products. The purpose of this study is to map the undersea fauna resources by remote sensing and to evaluate the utilities of different remote sensors given the frequent cloud cover and the winter days with low sunlight. The data used include satellite imagery from Landsat, SAC-C, Aster, Radarsat and QuickBird, as well as aerial photographs and maps. We co-register them before actual mapping the algae distribution using different methods. The final maps illustrate the algae distribution and temporal change, which can be useful for managing the coastal environment and resources.