Spectral unmixing of idealized aquatic benthos with consideration of water­-column effect

Abstract

Spectral mapping of benthic ecosystems by remote sensors is hoped to replace the tedious and expensive method of mapping by field survey. Spectral images taken by remote sensors, however, have pixel scales greater than the sizes of patches of any one benthic cover type. Here, we employ linear unmixing to resolve proportions of idealized coral benthos incorporating the water­column effect. Obtained proportions agree well with actual values based on the accuracy benchmark set by Foody and Cox with a success rate of 74% for measured spectra and 69% for reconstructed spectra.