Assessing LANDSAT TM and MSS Data for Detecting Submerged Plant Communities

The spectra, spacial, and radiometric characteristics of LANDSAT TM and MSS data for detecting and monitoring submerged plant communities were assessed. The following preliminary results focus upon the spectral aspects of the problem in which a submerged plant canopy is to be distinguished from a surrounding bottom of sand or mud. The effectiveness of an orbiting sensor in discriminating between submerged features and how strongly the bottom signal is attenuated by the water column. In optically shallow water the inherent contrast is the controlling factor. Thus, the optimum sensor band is that which correlates with the greatest inherent contrast between the submerged features. In optically deeper water, the optimum sensor band is that in which the bottom signal is attenuated the least.