Mapping of coastal wetlands via hyperspectral AVIRIS data

The wetlands located on the west shore of the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and the Indian River are critical habitat for several species of water fowl and aquatic life. Mapping of the land cover and its response to wetland management practices using remotely sensed data from a variety of sensors is the focus of a multiyear project. In 1996, hyperspectral data were acquired using the Airborne Visible Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) over the KSC complex. The test site for this study consists of a series of impounded marshes with vegetation communities ranging from low, halophyte marshes to high, graminoid savannas to forested wetlands. The capability of the AVIRIS data for discriminating the various wetland communities is investigated. Preliminary results indicate that the improved spectral resolution of the AVIRIS sensor is advantageous in areas such as wetlands where much of the vegetation is spectrally similar.