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Geomatic Applications to Coastal Research: Challenges and New Developments

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A special issue of ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information (ISSN 2220-9964).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2021) | Viewed by 47120

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Cristina Ponte Lira

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Chief Guest Editor

Instituto Dom Luiz, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: coastal processes; coastal monitoring systems; remote sensing; GIS and image processing and analysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Rita González-Villanueva

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Guest Editor

Department of Marine Geosciences and Territorial Planification, University of Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain
Interests: sand barriers and dunes: processes, sediment architecture, and geomorphology; coastal lagoons: evolution and hydrodynamics; remote sensing for coastal monitoring
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

A large percentage of the world’s population is situated along the coastal zone. Due to their intrinsic nature, coastal areas are highly vulnerable to natural hazards, which are forecast to increase in a climate change scenario. These threats demand specific monitoring programs and sustainable coastal management plans. Therefore, detailed information about the processes taking place in coastal areas is essential for coastal managers. However, the coastal environment is one of the most dynamic on Earth, which makes it extremely challenging to monitor and study. To fully grasp changes and evolution in coastal areas, several geomatic tools and methods must be used to understand the system at different scales (time and space). Geomatic instruments and techniques (e.g., GIS, remote sensing, and photogrammetry) have long been used in coastal studies, but recent simplification and increased accuracy have exponentially expanded their application to coastal sciences. In fact, remote sensing and GIS have been widely used to support conventional methods for monitoring coastline change. Additionally, free access to data from Earth Observation satellites provides the capability to monitor coast changes in a cost-effective manner. Furthermore, many advanced methodologies have been developed using close-range digital images for change detection or assessing environmental parameter variations.

This Special Issue on “Geomatic Applications to Coastal Research: Challenges and New Developments” aims to collect high-quality, innovative research papers dealing with the collection, storage, integration, modelling, analysis, and display of spatially georeferenced information about coastal systems. We welcome different applications and new case studies of geomatics use to increase the knowledge of the coastal environment in diverse topics such as coastal dynamics, coastal monitoring, coastal ecosystem, and climate change response, among others.

Dr. Cristina Ponte Lira
Dr. Rita González-Villanueva
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

geoinformation science
coastal dynamics
coastal monitoring
climate change
remote sensing
geographic information systems

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research

5 pages, 229 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Editorial on Geomatic Applications to Coastal Research: Challenges and New Developments

by Cristina Ponte Lira and Rita González-Villanueva

ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2022, 11(4), 258; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi11040258 - 15 Apr 2022

Viewed by 2086

Abstract

This editorial introduces the Special Issue entitled “Geomatic Applications to Coastal Research: Challenges and New Developments” and succinctly evaluates future trends of the use of geomatics in the field of coastal research. This Special Issue was created to emphasize the importance of using different methodologies to study the very complex and dynamic environment of the coast. The field of geomatics offers various tools and methods that are capable of capturing and understanding coastal systems at different scales (i.e., time and space). This Special Issue therefore features nine articles in which different methodologies and study cases are presented, highlighting what the field of geomatics has to offer to the field of coastal research. The featured articles use a range of methodologies, from GIS to remote sensing, as well as statistical and spatial analysis techniques, to advance the knowledge of coastal areas and improve management and future knowledge of these areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geomatic Applications to Coastal Research: Challenges and New Developments)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

20 pages, 8112 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Using TanDEM-X Global DEM to Map Coastal Flooding Exposure under Sea-Level Rise: Application to Guinea-Bissau

by Morto Baiém Fandé, Cristina Ponte Lira and Gil Penha-Lopes

ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2022, 11(4), 225; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi11040225 - 26 Mar 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4204

Abstract

The increased exposure to coastal flooding in low-lying coastal areas is one of the consequences of sea-level rise (SLR) induced by climate changes. The coastal zone of Guinea-Bissau contains significant areas of low elevation and is home to most of the population and economic activity, making it already vulnerable to coastal flooding, especially during spring tides and storm surges (SS). Coastal flooding will tend to intensify with the expected SLR in the coming decades. This study aimed at quantifying and mapping the area exposed to the coastal flooding hazard using SLR scenarios by the years 2041, 2083, and 2100. The study analyzes and discusses the application of a the simple “bathtub” model coupled with a high-precision global digital elevation models (TanDEM-X DEM) to areas where no other data are available. Therefore, three coastal hazards hot-spots of Guinea-Bissau: Bissau, Bubaque, and Suzana, were used as case study. At each site, the area potentially exposed to coastal flooding was evaluated in a geographic information systems (GIS) environment, by estimating the Total Water Levels for each SLR scenario. For all areas, land exposed to coastal flooding hazard increases significantly and progressively with increasing SLR scenarios. Bissau and Suzana, where housing, infrastructure, and agricultural land are low-lying, presented the greatest flood exposure, while Bubaque, where housing and infrastructure are located in relatively high-lying land and rain-fed agriculture is practiced, present lesser flood exposure. The methodology presented is simple to use but powerful in identifying potentially vulnerable places to coastal flooding hazard, and its results can aid low developed countries to assess their exposure to coastal risks, thus supporting risk awareness and mitigation measures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geomatic Applications to Coastal Research: Challenges and New Developments)

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23 pages, 12513 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spatial Evolution of Coastal Tourist City Using the Dyna-CLUE Model in Koh Chang of Thailand during 1990–2050

by Katawut Waiyasusri and Srilert Chotpantarat

ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2022, 11(1), 49; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi11010049 - 10 Jan 2022

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3528

Abstract

Spatial evolution can be traced by land-use change (LUC), which is a frontier issue in the field of geography. Using the limited areas of Koh Chang in Thailand as the research case, this study analyzed the simulation of its spatial evolution from a multi-scenario perspective on the basis of the 1900–2020 thematic mapper/operational land imager (TM/OLI) remote sensing data obtained through the transfer matrix model, and modified LUC and the dynamic land-use change model (Dyna-CLUE). Over the past 30 years, the expansion of recreation areas and urban and built-up land has been very high (2944.44% and 486.99%, respectively) along the western coast of Koh Chang, which replaced the original mangrove forests, orchards, and communities. Logistic regression analysis of important variables affecting LUC revealed that population density variables and coastal plain topography significantly affected LUC, which showed strong β coefficients prominently in the context of a coastal tourist city. The results of the LUC and logistic regression analyses were used to predict future LUCs in the Dyna-CLUE model to simulate 2050 land-use in three scenarios: (1) natural evolution scenario, where a large patch expansion of agricultural land extends along the edge of the entire forest boundary around the island, particularly the southwestern areas of the island that should be monitored; (2) reserved area protection scenario, where the boundary of the conservation area is incorporated into the model, enabling forest preservation in conjunction with tourism development; and (3) recreation area growth scenario, where the southern area is the most susceptible to change at the new road crossing between Khlong Kloi village to Salak Phet village, and where land-use of the recreation area type is expanding. The model-projected LUC maps provide insights into possible changes under multiple pathways, which could help local communities, government agencies, and stakeholders jointly allocate resource planning in a systematic way, so that the development of various infrastructures to realize the potential impact on the environment is a sustainable coastal tourist city development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geomatic Applications to Coastal Research: Challenges and New Developments)

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18 pages, 4397 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Instance Segmentation for Governmental Inspection of Small Touristic Infrastructure in Beach Zones Using Multispectral High-Resolution WorldView-3 Imagery

by Osmar Luiz Ferreira de Carvalho, Rebeca dos Santos de Moura, Anesmar Olino de Albuquerque, Pablo Pozzobon de Bem, Rubens de Castro Pereira, Li Weigang, Dibio Leandro Borges, Renato Fontes Guimarães, Roberto Arnaldo Trancoso Gomes and Osmar Abílio de Carvalho Júnior

ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2021, 10(12), 813; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi10120813 - 30 Nov 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3153

Abstract

Misappropriation of public lands is an ongoing government concern. In Brazil, the beach zone is public property, but many private establishments use it for economic purposes, requiring constant inspection. Among the undue targets, the individual mapping of straw beach umbrellas (SBUs) attached to the sand is a great challenge due to their small size, high presence, and agglutinated appearance. This study aims to automatically detect and count SBUs on public beaches using high-resolution images and instance segmentation, obtaining pixel-wise semantic information and individual object detection. This study is the first instance segmentation application on coastal areas and the first using WorldView-3 (WV-3) images. We used the Mask-RCNN with some modifications: (a) multispectral input for the WorldView3 imagery (eight channels), (b) improved the sliding window algorithm for large image classification, and (c) comparison of different image resizing ratios to improve small object detection since the SBUs are small objects (<32² pixels) even using high-resolution images (31 cm). The accuracy analysis used standard COCO metrics considering the original image and three scale ratios (2×, 4×, and 8× resolution increase). The average precision (AP) results increased proportionally to the image resolution: 30.49% (original image), 48.24% (2×), 53.45% (4×), and 58.11% (8×). The 8× model presented 94% AP50, classifying nearly all SBUs correctly. Moreover, the improved sliding window approach enables the classification of large areas providing automatic counting and estimating the size of the objects, proving to be effective for inspecting large coastal areas and providing insightful information for public managers. This remote sensing application impacts the inspection cost, tribute, and environmental conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geomatic Applications to Coastal Research: Challenges and New Developments)

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15 pages, 22850 KiB

Open AccessArticle

GIS Models for Vulnerability of Coastal Erosion Assessment in a Tropical Protected Area

by Luís Russo Vieira, José Guilherme Vieira, Isabel Marques da Silva, Edison Barbieri and Fernando Morgado

ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2021, 10(9), 598; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi10090598 - 10 Sep 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 5577

Abstract

Coastal erosion is considered a major worldwide challenge. The vulnerability assessment of coastal areas, in relation to climate change, is a key topic of worldwide increasing interest. The integration of methodologies supported by Remote Sensing, Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and in situ monitoring has allowed a viable identification of vulnerable areas to erosion. In the present study, a model was proposed to the assessment of the estuarine system of Cananéia-Iguape (Brazil), by applying the evaluation and prediction of vulnerability models for the conservation and preservation of mangroves. Approximately 1221 Km² were classified, with 16% of the total presenting high and very high vulnerability to erosion. Other relevant aspects, were the identification and georeferencing sites that showed strong evidence of erosion and, thus, having a huge influence on the final vulnerability scores. The obtained results led to the development of a multidisciplinary approach through the application of a prediction and description model that resulted from the adaptation of the study system from a set of implemented models for coastal regions, in order to contribute to the erosion vulnerability assessment in the mangroves ecosystems (and associated localities, municipalities and communities). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geomatic Applications to Coastal Research: Challenges and New Developments)

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23 pages, 32663 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Multi-Scenario Model of Plastic Waste Accumulation Potential in Indonesia Using Integrated Remote Sensing, Statistic and Socio-Demographic Data

by Anjar Dimara Sakti, Aprilia Nidia Rinasti, Elprida Agustina, Hanif Diastomo, Fickrie Muhammad, Zuzy Anna and Ketut Wikantika

ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2021, 10(7), 481; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi10070481 - 13 Jul 2021

Cited by 35 | Viewed by 9948

Abstract

As a significant contributor of plastic waste to the marine environment, Indonesia is striving to construct a national strategy for reducing plastic debris. Hence, the primary aim of this study is to create a model for plastic waste quantity originating from the mainland, accumulated in estuaries. This was achieved by compiling baseline data of marine plastic disposal from the mainland via comprehensive contextualisation of data generated by remote sensing technology and spatial analysis. The parameters used in this study cover plastic waste generation, land cover, population distribution, and human activity identification. These parameters were then used to generate the plastic waste disposal index; that is, the distribution of waste from the mainland, flowing through the river, and ultimately accumulating in the estuary. The plastic waste distribution is calculated based on the weighting method and overlap analysis between land and coastal areas. The results indicate that 0.6% of Indonesia, including metropolitan cities, account for the highest generation of plastic waste. Indicating of plastic releases to the ocean applied by of developing three different scenarios with the highest estimation 11.94 tonnes on a daily basis in an urban area, intended as the baseline study for setting priority zone for plastic waste management. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geomatic Applications to Coastal Research: Challenges and New Developments)

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21 pages, 1863 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluating and Visualizing Drivers of Coastline Change: A Lake Ontario Case Study

by Meredith Caspell and Liette Vasseur

ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2021, 10(6), 375; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi10060375 - 2 Jun 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2975

Abstract

Environmental and climatic changes are disproportionately felt in coastal communities, where drivers of coastline change are complicated with continued development. This study analyzed the coastline change of Lake Ontario in the Town of Lincoln, Ontario, Canada, using a mixed-methods two-phased approach that is novel to the study area. The first phase of the methodology included a coastline change analysis using historical aerial photographs in a geographic information system to identify the most vulnerable sections of the coastline. To better understand the calculated changes, the second phase explored the roles of select climatic and non-climatic drivers of coastline change, such as historic storms and land use changes. The results indicated that four main areas of Lincoln’s coast were more vulnerable, with rates of erosion between −0.32 and −0.66 m/yr between 1934 and 2018. Sections of coastline that had less erosion included those that were more heavily vegetated, attempted a cooperative protection approach, or utilized revetment stones in areas without steep banks. This methodology can help municipalities understand coastline change in a more holistic way to increase their adaptive capacity and allows for the creation of useful visualizations that better communicate to residents and town staff the level of vulnerability of their coasts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geomatic Applications to Coastal Research: Challenges and New Developments)

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15 pages, 5452 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evolution of the Beaches in the Regional Park of Salinas and Arenales of San Pedro del Pinatar (Southeast of Spain) (1899–2019)

by Daniel Ibarra-Marinas, Francisco Belmonte-Serrato, Gustavo A. Ballesteros-Pelegrín and Ramón García-Marín

ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2021, 10(4), 200; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi10040200 - 25 Mar 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2709

Abstract

Coastal erosion is anissuewhich affects beaches all over the world and that signifies enormous economic and environmental losses. Classed as a slow phenomenon, the evolution of the coastline requires long-term analysis. In this study, old cartography and aerial photographs from various dates have been used to study the evolution of the coastline. The information has been processed with free software (QGIS) and for the calculation of sediment transport the Coastal Modeling System (SMC) software. The results show the accretion/erosion phenomena that occurred after the construction of the port in San Pedro del Pinatarin 1954 and which changed the coastal dynamics of a highly protected area. In some sectors, the beach has been reduced almost in its entirety, with retreat rates of up to −2.05 m per year and a total area loss of 66,419.81 m² in Las Salinas beach and 76,891.13 m² on Barraca Quemada beach. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geomatic Applications to Coastal Research: Challenges and New Developments)

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23 pages, 8653 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Integrating a Three-Level GIS Framework and a Graph Model to Track, Represent, and Analyze the Dynamic Activities of Tidal Flats

by Chao Xu and Weibo Liu

ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2021, 10(2), 61; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi10020061 - 1 Feb 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2839

Abstract

Tidal flats (non-vegetated area) are soft-sediment habitats that are alternately submerged and exposed to the air by changeable tidal levels. The tidal flat dynamics research mainly utilizes the cell-level comparisons between the consecutive snapshots, but the in-depth study requires more detailed information of the dynamic activities. To better track, represent, and analyze tidal flats’ dynamic activities, this study proposes an integrated approach of a three-level Geographic Information Science (GIS) framework and a graph model. In the three-level GIS framework, the adjacent cells are assembled as the objects, and the objects on different time steps are linked as lifecycles by tracking the predecessor–successor relationships. Furthermore, eleven events are defined to describe the dynamic activities throughout the lifecycles. The graph model provides a better way to represent the lifecycles, and graph operators are utilized to facilitate the event analysis. The integrated approach is applied to tidal flats’ dynamic activities in the southwest tip of Florida Peninsula from 1984 to 2018. The results suggest that the integrated approach provides an effective way to track, represent, and analyze the dynamic activities of tidal flats, and it offers a novel perspective to examine other dynamic geographic phenomena with large spatiotemporal scales. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geomatic Applications to Coastal Research: Challenges and New Developments)

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22 pages, 2838 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Measuring Community Disaster Resilience in the Conterminous Coastal United States

by Shaikh Abdullah Al Rifat and Weibo Liu

ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2020, 9(8), 469; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi9080469 - 23 Jul 2020

Cited by 50 | Viewed by 8154

Abstract

In recent years, building resilient communities to disasters has become one of the core objectives in the field of disaster management globally. Despite being frequently targeted and severely impacted by disasters, the geographical extent in studying disaster resilience of the coastal communities of the United States (US) has been limited. In this study, we developed a composite community disaster resilience index (CCDRI) for the coastal communities of the conterminous US that considers different dimensions of disaster resilience. The resilience variables used to construct the CCDRI were justified by examining their influence on disaster losses using ordinary least squares (OLS) and geographically weighted regression (GWR) models. Results suggest that the CCDRI score ranges from −12.73 (least resilient) to 8.69 (most resilient), and northeastern communities are comparatively more resilient than southeastern communities in the study area. Additionally, resilience components used in this study have statistically significant impact on minimizing disaster losses. The GWR model performs much better in explaining the variances while regressing the disaster property damage against the resilience components (explains 72% variance) than the OLS (explains 32% variance) suggesting that spatial variations of resilience components should be accounted for an effective disaster management program. Moreover, findings from this study could provide local emergency managers and decision-makers with unique insights for enhancing overall community resilience to disasters and minimizing disaster impacts in the study area. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geomatic Applications to Coastal Research: Challenges and New Developments)

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