Mapping of Benthic Habitats in Komave, Coral Coast Using Worldview-2 Satellite Imagery

Human uses or resources of coral reef ecosystems have synergistic effects that compound environmental pressures, often with negative results on ecosystem services. For example, sea-surface temperatures in many tropical regions have increased by almost 1 °C over the past 100 years, and in the area of Fiji are currently increasing at approximately 2 ℃ per century. This is combined with increased fishing pressures and increased pollution from populated land areas. Resources in shallow coastal ecosystems may be conserved for sustainable use through the design and implementation of resilient networks of marine conservation or marine protected areas (MPAs). This requires accurate spatial data on the distribution and extent of habitats (coral reef, seagrass and mangroves) at scales which match conservation planning decisions by policymakers. Habitat maps improve management by guiding sampling strategies, mapping resources in a way that facilitates assessment of status and change, involving local communities, and identifying conservation areas that can be fixed or rotated to promote sustainable use. Social and ecological vulnerability to disasters and outcomes of any particular extreme event are influenced by buildup or weakening of resilience, both before and after disaster occurs. The findings of the present study help communities consider options in planning management strategies including MPA networks that can assist the communities adapt to changing climate. To support the design of a resilient MPA network for the Komave region, a high-resolution habitat map was generated based on WorldView-2 imagery, literature review and ground-truth data