April 12, 2023

12:00 pm 1100 TLSB

Lola Fatoyinbo
NASA

" From Treetops to Coastal Depths – Monitoring Coastal Ecosystems In The 3rd And 4th Dimension "

Coastal land and seascapes (seagrasses, mangroves, coral reefs, tidal flats & flooded forests) support livelihoods of over 3 billion people, offer protection from extreme weather events,  provide 25% of the oceanic carbon pool and support 25% of global biodiversity. Despite their economic and ecological importance, the extent of coastal ecosystems, and the activities that were driving the changes in these ecosystems were poorly quantified. Furthermore, understanding the spatial patterns of coastal ecosystem structure – both above and below water – are important in valuing the ecosystem services that these areas provide and predicting the vulnerability to human caused and natural threats. In this talk, we will show how we use NASA Earth Observing data, from airborne and spaceborne sensors such as Landsat, GEDI and ICESat-2, to monitor these ecosystems in three dimensions and through time, as well as highlight how Earth Observation can be used to help protect and restore coastal ecosystems worldwide.

Host: Elsa Ordway