Validation of MODIS-based monitoring for a green tide in the Yellow Sea with the aid of unmanned aerial vehicle

Previous studies have shown that Terra moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) has low detection and characterization efficiency when mapping a green tide (Ulva prolifera) in the Yellow Sea. To quantify the uncertainty in mapping of the green tide using MODIS data, comparisons were conducted between quasi synchronous MODIS images and in situ observation data, as well as an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) image. The results show that MODIS images could detect the location of large (> 100 m) floating green algae patches with good positional accuracy but tended to ignore the existence of small patches less than 10 m in width. The floating macroalgae area extracted using MODIS was several times larger than the area mapped using the UAV image. The Sentinel-2 multispectral instrument, the Chinese high resolution GF-1 wide field camera, and the Chinese HJ-1 charge-coupled device are recommended for early green tide detection, whereas MODIS is suitable for green tide monitoring. The UAV could also play an important role in regional green tide monitoring with the advantages of flexibility, smaller dimensions, high spatial resolution, and low cost. (C) 2017 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE