Work

Monitoring intertidal ecosystems: Assessing spatio–temporal variability with Sentinel-2 and Landsat 8

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Intertidal zones are home to critical ecosystems that provide a wide range of ecological, social and economic benefits, but are increasingly vulnerable to climate change and anthropogenic pressures. This study proposes a robust methodology for mapping and analysing these areas using satellite imagery, focusing on the development of a new spectral index specifically designed for zoning marsh ecosystems. By comparing the effectiveness on Sentinel-2 and Landsat 8 datasets, the research addresses common challenges in land cover mapping from remote sensing imagery in these environments, such as cloud cover, reflectance variability and tidal influences, while incorporating ground truthing to ensure the accuracy of satellite data interpretation. The methodology involves selecting optimal satellite data, correcting for solar reflectance, identifying intertidal pixels using the normalized difference water index (NDWI), and classifying these zones into categories such as seagrass beds, mudflats, low marsh, and high marsh. The Bay of Cádiz (Southwestern Spain), with its extensive intertidal areas characterized by diverse habitats such as mudflats, marshes, and seagrass beds, provides an ideal case study for understanding coastal dynamics driven by tidal cycles. The results highlight the usefulness of the proposed spectral index in assessing changes in intertidal habitats over time, thus supporting long-term monitoring efforts that are crucial for coastal conservation strategies. By refining intertidal mapping techniques and improving the detection of specific land cover classes, this research aims to fill existing methodological gaps, provide valuable insights for local coastal management, and offer a replicable model for monitoring other coastal and transitional systems under similar conditions. The ultimate goal is to make a significant contribution to the understanding of intertidal ecosystems and their responses to environmental change, ensuring the resilience and sustainability of these vital habitats in the face of ongoing environmental challenges.

Source: International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation

DOI: 10.1016/j.jag.2025.104676

Authors: Carmen Zarzuelo, Alejandro López-Ruiz, María Bermúdez, Miguel Ortega-Sánchez, Isabel Caballero

Institutions: Universidad de Sevilla, Universidad de Granada, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Instituto de Ciencias Marinas de Andalucía

Language: English

Topic: Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics

Subfield: Ecology

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Life on land, Life below water, Climate action, Sustainable cities and communities

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,550