Reef zonation and cover mapping with Landsat Thematic Mapper data: intraand inter-reef patterns in the southern Great Barrier Reef region

Coral reefs exhibit distinctive patterns of morphological and ecological zonation as a result of spatial and temporal variation of, and interaction between, hydrodynamic (waves and tides), geomorphic (sediment generation, sorting, transport and deposition) and ecological (abundance, composition, recruitment, predation, competition, growth form, cover, productivity) processes and bathymetry (determined by the Pleistocene reef foundations and subsequent reef growth). Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) and enhanced TM data provide a global basis for mapping reef characteristics, including morphological and ecological zonation and cover types, at local to regional scales, including at locations, times and frequencies at which field visits are not logistically or economically feasible. In this analysis, we examine the feasibility of developing a classification of the geomorphic and ecological features of one reef, and apply that classification mask to other reefs in the region. This paper, outlines the methods for and outcomes of applying this approach to reefs in the southern Great Barrier Reef and discusses their implications