Biophysical Survey of Mafia Island Marine Reserves

Ground Proofing Methodology (Low Resolution Satellite Images – SIMR and MBIMR)
A GPS SMB module was used to record spot feature locations and also tracks
along linear features using SCUBA and snorkel. This provided patch boundary locations
that were not apparent on the low resolution image. GPS spot and track information were
then uploaded onto Garmin Mapsource (GM) ready for patch mosaic creation. Additional
data were collected by spot checks using snorkel, SCUBA and percentage composition
data using manta tows. Also, benthic composition data were used from benthic
composition data collected from the species survey section of this report.
Patch Mosaic Creation
The GPS information was overlaid onto a low resolution Google Earth image
from GM to confirm size and orientation of patch features. Once the GPS information
was aligned with the satellite image, the resulting image was used as the basis on which
to build a final patch mosaic (Figure 2) using benthic composition (Table 2) and habitat
categories (Appendix 1).
Figure 2. Mosaic creation using Google Earth Image and GPS track, point and transect information.