Monitoring Global Change in Monitoring Global Change in Temperate Reef CommunitiesTemperate Reef Communities

• Larry Deysher – Ocean Imaging• Matt Edwards – San Diego State University• Jon Dykstra – Earth Satellite Corporation• Paul Dayton – Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Project ObjectivesProject Objectives

• Cost-effective method of mapping kelp canopies on a global basis

• Baseline for global kelp distributions (Year 2000)• Model linking kelp distributions with physical

factors such as temperature & wave heights• Discriminate localized kelp bed changes from

climate related effects

Kelp Habitat StructureKelp Habitat Structure

Half–life 2 to 4 years Half–life 10’s to 100’s years

Photos: Mark Carr & Bill Bushing

MacrocystisMacrocystis

NereocystisNereocystis

Alaria fistulosaAlaria fistulosa

Ecklonia maximaEcklonia maxima

Photo: Taurus Products

Durvillaea antarcticaDurvillaea antarctica

Photo: Steve Smith,

NMSC

Year 2000 ETM+ CoverageYear 2000 ETM+ Coverage

Southern California Kelp CanopiesSouthern California Kelp Canopies

ETM+ - 49 haColor IR Photo - 39

ha

San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board

Study AreaStudy Area

ETM+ 4 Aug 2002ETM+ 4 Aug 2002

Canopy Area (ha)

Bed DMSC ETM+

Harvest 4.9 8.0

Control 1 0.5 0.9

Control 2 2.3 3.4

Control 3 9.0 11.1

Range BoundariesRange Boundaries• Baja California• Peru / Chile & Argentina• Namibia / South Africa• Australia – Tasmanian

population declines• Subantarctic Islands

– Kerguelen Island– Heard Island– South Georgia Island

Peru / Chile / Argentina

Northern Boundaries

Peru – 13.8o SPeru Coastal Current (Humboldt)

Argentina – 42.0o SBrazil-Malvinas Confluence

Namibia / South Africa

Northern Boundary – 21.5o SBenguela Current

Eastern Boundary – 19.6o E Agulhas Current

Subantarctic Subantarctic IslandsIslands

Kelp on islands north of Antarctic Convergence

with the exception of South Georgia Island

SST - South Georgia IslandSST - South Georgia IslandApril 1998 October 1998

SST - Kerguelen & HeardSST - Kerguelen & HeardApril 1998 October 1998

Heard Heard

Kerguelen Kerguelen

SST Anomaly - Kerguelen & HeardSST Anomaly - Kerguelen & HeardApril 1998 October 1998

Heard Heard

Kerguelen Kerguelen

Coastal Water ClarityCoastal Water Clarity

Turbidity plumesPlankton blooms

MODIS Satellite imagery Spatial Resolution 250 m (bands 1 - 2) 500 m (bands 3 - 7) 1000 m (bands 8 - 36)

LaJolla Kelp Offshore ExpansionLaJolla Kelp Offshore Expansion

Ozone HoleOzone Hole October 2000 (< 200 Dobson Units )October 2000 (< 200 Dobson Units )

NASA TOMS

Isla de los EstadosIsla de los Estados

IIsla de los Estados

30 January 2001

Data AvailabilityData Availability

ftp://samoa.gsfc.nasa.gov/landsat/kelp/