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The cost effectiveness of acquisition and processing of remotely sensed imagery varies significantly between types of platforms deployed and imaging systems used to acquire the data. As a result, it is important to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the map products prepared from each of the types of digital imagery. These Accuracy Assessment point data were generated to assess the accuracy of the individual maps created from the three types of source information.
Testing showed that the ability to generate benthic habitat maps with an overall accuracy of 90% to 95% confidence interval is reaching a threshold using imagery with three meter pixel size allowing for spectral enhancement of the imagery with reduced resolution. Increasing the intensity of field observation can partially compensate for this decrease in accuracy of the maps generated from the largest pixels. Habitat maps prepared from IKONOS satellite imagery should be accompanied by field observation wherever possible.
Due to an unusually stormy winter in the Central Pacific during the 2001 to 2002 season, multiple attempts to acquire accuracy assessment data for the Molokai test area were required. Two field missions were planned to collect these data. Due to failed field missions resulting from poor weather; eight field missions were executed to complete this work.
During the month of November 2002, an unusually powerful storm occurred in the Hawaiian Islands. Extensive flooding, road closures and power outages were experienced. The intense rain fall, after 15 years of near drought conditions in the Hawaiian Islands, resulted in unprecedented mud inundation on the east end on the study area in Molokai. The influx of sediment from the November storm and the series of storms that followed over the next six months made this area inaccessible for the entire project period.
As the types of habitats on the east end of the Molokai test area are very similar to those on the west end of the test area, the density of accuracy assessment points was increased on the west end to compensate for the reduced density of the east end. With the exception of the mud inundation on the reef at Molokai, the remainder of the acquisition of field accuracy assessment data proceeded flawlessly.