Remotely Monitoring Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands with Multi-Sensor, Multi-Temporal SAR and Multi-Spectral Data

Wetland monitoring in the Great Lakes coastal areas is needed for assessment of overall health of the Great Lakes basin. Methods were developed that were robust yet cost-efficient and implementable. The methods rely on satellite imagery for mapping wetland type, adjacent land use, wetland extent and inundation extent. The best method for mapping wetland type and adjacent land use was a fusion of data from multiple SAR sensors (JERS, ERS, Radarsat-I) and Landsat. This data fusion allows for the unique SAR and optical/IR information to be integrated for improved mapping capabilities.