Monitoring coastal wetland communities in north-eastern NSW using ASTER and Landsat satellite data

The coastal wetland communities of north-eastern New South Wales (NSW) Australia exist in a subtropical climate with high biodiversity and are affected by anthropogenic and natural stressors such as urbanization and climate change. The aim of the research is to map and monitor the coastal wetland communities in north eastern NSW using satellite data. Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflectance Radiometer, Landsat ETM+ and Landsat TM satellite imagery of November 2003, June 2001 and September 1989 respectively were used to identify and monitor the wetland communities. Supervised classification was performed using the maximum likelihood standard algorithm. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index was produced and the health of the wetland vegetation was evaluated. The wetland maps present significant changes in the coastal wetland communities in the months of September 1989, June 2001 and November 2003. This information could be used by coastal wetland managers in order to enhance the management of these ecosystems.