Reefs from space: Satellite imagery, marine ecology, and ethnography in the Dominican Republic

Richard W. Stoffle, David B. Halmo, Thomas W. Wagner, Joseph J. Luczkovich

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

18 Scopus citations

Abstract

Coral reef bleaching is an obvious indication that coastal marine ecosystems are being stressed. However, bleached reefs alone are poor indicators because they reflect the final stages of stress. This research project used multidate satellite imagery to look for coral reef changes as indicators of stress. Findings suggest that (1) satellite imagery can be used to identify small-scale changes in coastal marine ecosystems, including coral reefs; (2) remote sensing, marine ecology, and ethnographic data can be integrated to suggest potential causes of coral reef stress; and (3) changes in reef, seagrass, and mangrove ecozones are more closely tied to fishing, tourism, and land use practices than to global warming.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)355-378
Number of pages24
JournalHuman Ecology
Volume22
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 1994

Keywords

  • Dominican Republic
  • ethnography
  • fisheries
  • marine ecology
  • remote sensing

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Ecology
  • Anthropology
  • Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)
  • Environmental Science (miscellaneous)
  • Sociology and Political Science

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