Mapping the benthic habitats of Boracay and Santa Cruz Islands, Philippines using Sentinel-2 imagery and random forest classification in Google Earth Engine

Kristine M. Bantay; Christian G. Candido; Ariel C. Blanco

doi:10.1117/12.3039276

3 January 2025 Mapping the benthic habitats of Boracay and Santa Cruz Islands, Philippines using Sentinel-2 imagery and random forest classification in Google Earth Engine

Kristine M. Bantay, Christian G. Candido, Ariel C. Blanco

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 13264, Active and Passive Remote Sensing of Oceans, Seas, and Lakes; 132640A (2025) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3039276
Event: Asia-Pacific Remote Sensing, 2024, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Abstract

The marine habitats of the Philippines are diverse and ecologically important and while they support a wide range of species and provide important ecosystem services, they remain inadequately mapped on a nationwide scale. This study maps sand, corals, and seagrass in Boracay Island (Malay, Province of Aklan) and Sta. Cruz Islands (Zamboanga City) using deglinted and land-masked Sentinel-2 imagery and Random Forest classification in Google Earth Engine. Ground truth data for Boracay Island were gathered using geotagged validation points, while for Sta. Cruz Islands, a continuous video from a towed camera and GPS tracks were collected and subsequent geotagged images were produced. These data were used for training and testing the benthic classification model. Results indicate high coral coverage in both locations, with more than 90% overall accuracy. This methodology demonstrates an automated benthic habitat classification framework that can be adapted to the entirety of the Philippines.

(2025) Published by SPIE. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

Citation Download Citation

Kristine M. Bantay, Christian G. Candido, and Ariel C. Blanco "Mapping the benthic habitats of Boracay and Santa Cruz Islands, Philippines using Sentinel-2 imagery and random forest classification in Google Earth Engine", Proc. SPIE 13264, Active and Passive Remote Sensing of Oceans, Seas, and Lakes, 132640A (3 January 2025); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3039276

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

;

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE