Remote sensing mapping of the regeneration of coastal natural habitats in Singapore: Implications for marine conservation in tropical cities
Yong How Jonathan Tan, Jacqueline K. Q. Tham, Aayush Paul, Umair Rana, Hui Ping Ang, Nhung Nguyen, Alex Thiam Koon Yee, Bryan P. I. Leong, Simon Drummond, Karenne Tun
Abstract
Rapid urbanization has resulted in the loss of coastal and marine habitats in cities worldwide. The effective conservation of urban coastal ecosystems requires detailed knowledge of their spatial distribution, necessitating high‐resolution mapping. Our study produces a high‐resolution coastal and marine habitat map and shoreline map for the tropical city‐state of Singapore created through pixel‐based supervised classification of satellite imagery, bathymetry data and expert ground knowledge. These maps can be used as a base reference for multiple applications including ecological research, conservation and urban planning. They also help identifiy trends in the extent of key coastal habitats, providing insight into their differing levels of vulnerability to loss and potential for restoration to ensure long‐term resilience. The method used for mapping shoreline typologies and resulting insights gained, can guide other rapidly urbanizing coastal cities on strategies to assemble useful spatial knowledge for effective conservation of their urban coastal ecosystems.