Progress in the use of remote sensing for coral reef biodiversity studies

Coral reefs are hotspots of marine biodiversity, and their global decline is a threat to our natural heritage. Conservation management of these precious ecosystems relies on accurate and up-to-date information about ecosystem health and the distribution of species and habitats, but such information can be costly to gather and interpret in the field. Remote sensing has proven capable of collecting information on geomorphologic zones and substrate types for coral reef environments, and is cost-effective when information is needed for large areas. Remote sensing-based mapping of coral habitat variables known to influence biodiversity has only recently been undertaken and new sensors and improved data processing show great potential in this area. This paper reviews coral reef biodiversity, the influence of habitat variables on its local spatial distribution, and the potential for remote sensing to produce maps of these habitat variables, thus indirectly mapping coral reef biodiversity and fulfilling information needs of coral reef managers.