Identification and Quantification of Rockweed Biomass using High Resolution Satellite Imagery

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Acadian Seaplants Limited (ASL) is a globally recognized industry leader in the processing of seaweed-based products for food, biochemical, agricultural and agri-chemical markets worldwide and in the cultivation and processing of unique seaweeds for global food markets. The seaweed Ascophyllum nodosum (Rockweed) is the main raw material for the products produced. The end products are sold in more than 70 countries worldwide creating close to 600 jobs (full-time and seasonal) in the Maritime Provinces and contributing more than $40 M to the local economy. ASL's rockweed leases in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick along with harvested areas in Maine cover more than 3,000 km of shoreline that need to be surveyed on an annual basis to obtain the necessary information for proper resource management plan. ASL currently spends a significant amount of time and money conducting field surveys, and are interested in researching if analyzing satellite images can reduce this cost. ASL are also interested in expanding the amount of rockweed that they harvest and would like to use satellite data to assist with mapping the distribution of the resource to determine potential new harvest sites. The Applied Geomatics Research Group (AGRG) at the Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) will collaborate with ASL to investigate the utilization of imagery from the latest high-resolution satellite, Worldview-2, acquired at low tide conditions at sites within the Gulf of Maine. Digital image processing techniques will be employed, including pattern matching and object orientated classification methods to map the Rockweed.