APPLICATIONS OF REMOTE SENSING (RS),

GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SYSTEM (GIS) & GLOBAL

POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS) IN FISHERIES
- Amod Ashok Salgaonkar, Trivesh Suresh Mayekar, Avinash Rambhau Rasal, Kiran Rasal,
Balkrishna Hotekar, Rakesh Jadhav, Amar Gaikwad
Corresponding author e-mail ID : amodcife@gmail.com

REMOTE SENSING :
Remote Sensing (RS) refers to the branch of science which derives information about
objects from measurements made from a distance i.e. without actually coming into contact with
them. Conventionally remote sensing deals with the use of light i.e. electromagnetic radiation as
the medium of interaction. RS refers to the identification of earth features by detecting the
characteristics electromagnetic radiation that is reflected by the earth surface. Every object
reflects a portion of electromagnetic radiation incident on it depending upon its physical
properties. In addition, objects also emit electromagnetic radiation depending upon their
temperature & emmisivity. Reflectance pattern at different wave lengths for each object is
different. Such a set of characteristics is known as spectral signature of the object. This unables
identification & discrimination of objects. Visual perception of objects is the best example of
remote sensing.

Stages in remote sensing :

1) Requirement of an energy source (Sun is the main source of energy during
day time.)
2) Energy interaction with the atmosphere

3) Interaction with the target

4) Recording of energy by sensor
5) Data transmission & processing
6) Image processing & analysis
7) Application

Advantages of the remote sensing:

The major advantages of remote sensing over ground based methods are
a) Synoptic view: It facilitates the study of various features of earth surface in
their spatial relation to each other & helps to delineate the required features
& phenomenon.
b) Accessibility: It makes it possible to gather information about inaccessible
areas where it is not possible to gather information through ground surveys.
c) Time: These techniques save time & efforts as information about large area
can be gathered quickly.
d)

Multidisciplinary applications: Remote sensing data are useful to

different disciplines such as geology, fisheries, forestry, land use etc.

Applications of Remote Sensing in fisheries :

1) Remote sensing data help in regular management of water resources.
2)

Remote sensing techniques are useful in finding different types of

bioresources.

3) Remote sensing plays potential role in both rapid & comprehensive EIA.

4) For detection and monitoring of the water pollution, remote sensing prove
useful.
5) Remote sensing is applicable in acquiring information regarding offshore
engineering activities, fisheries surveillance, ocean features, coastal regions
and storm forecast operations.
6) Remotely sensed data provides the necessary spatial data on suspended
sediments, dissolved organic matter, phytoplankton, algal blooms & oil slicks
etc which will useful in management of fish stocks, monitor the water quality
& natural water pollution such as oil or algal blooms, which are harmful to
aquatic life.
7) Remote sensing techniques are giving necessary data needed for monitoring
changes on coastal erosion, shoreline monitoring & management, loss of
natural habitat, sea level rise, wetland mapping urbanization, sewage
disposal and aquatic population etc.
8) Remote sensing is very useful in identifying Potential Fishing Zones (PFZ).
This data is very useful for fishermen because they came to know likely
occurrence of fish shoals which helps them for getting more catch.
9) Continuous monitoring of land use or land cover with remote sensing
imageries have been of immense use in providing information on temporal &
spatial changes in area under aquaculture, mangrove areas, coral reef
mapping & other land use patterns.

GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SYSTEM (GIS) :

GIS may be defined as the integration of computer hard & software with
spatially referred digital data so that storage, retrieval, manipulation,
analysis and display all forms of geographically referenced information.

GIS is a computer assisted system that can input, store, retrieve, analyse &
display geographically referenced information useful for decision making.
The definition of GIS is not that important but it must encompass
i.

Data & concepts concepts concerned with spatial distribution

(Geographical).
ii.
iii.

Notion of conveying data, ideas or analysis (Information).

Sequence of inputs, processes & outputs (System).

Geographic reference concepts:

Available maps of different thematic layers are used to create
GIS. The maps are in two dimension where as the earth's surface is a 3dimensional ellipsoid. Every map has a projection & scale. Georeferencing
concepts need to be understood to know how maps are created by projecting
the 3-dimension earth's surface into a 2-dimensional plane of analogue map.
Georeferencing involves two stages1.Specifying the 3-dimensional co-ordinate system that is used for locating
points on the earth's surface that is Geographic Co-ordinate system
2.Projected co-ordinate system used for projecting into two dimensional
analogue maps.

Components of GIS:

GIS runs on the whole spectrum of computer hardware ranging

from portable personal computers to a multi-user supercomputer & is
programmed in a wide variety of software languages. There are number of
elements that are essential for effective GIS operation.
1) The presence of a processor with sufficient power to run the software.
2) Sufficient memory for storage of large volume of data.
3) A good quality high resolution colour screen.
4) Data input & output devices.
5) Liveware.

Functions of GIS:
A. Data pre-processing, manipulation & retrieval
B. Data analysis
C. Data display
D. Database management

Advantages of GIS:
o

It helps the planners in efficient & cost effective decision making based on
multiple scenarios available.

o GIS allows integration of all types of data together based on geographical &
locational components of data.

o GIS is application oriented.

o Frequent revision of digitized GIS data is possible.
o Changes over time can easily & rapidly monitored through GIS.
o GIS technology enables high quality output.
o Spatial patterns & processes can be effectively described & explained by GIS.

Applications of GIS in Fisheries :

Identification of suitable sites for freshwater & brackishwater aquaculture.
Management of marine fisheries & coastal regulation zone.
Study of land-use pattern including mangroves & forest cover of a particular
area.
Planning for water body resource zonation & mapping of aquatic species.
Fish disease modeling & management.
Study of temporal/spatial changes in fish production & consumption.
Environmental Impact Assessment.

Distribution

of different fish species in relation to physical habitat

characteristics.
Study of spatial variations in demand / supply balance.

POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS) :

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a location system based on a
constellation of
about 24 satellites orbiting the earth at altitudes of approximately 11000
miles.GPS is widely used by civilians as well as defense personnel. GPS was
developed by the United States Department of Defense (DOD), for
application as a military locating utility. GPS satellites are orbited high
enough to avoid the problems associated with land based systems, yet can
provide accurate positioning 24 hours a day, anywhere in the world. DGPS
has found its greatest utility in the field of Geographic Information System
( GIS ). With some consideration for error, GPS can provide any point on
earth with a unique address (its precise location). GPS tells us "where",
whereas GIS tells us "what".

Components of GPS :
GPS is not a single unit. It is a system & has a following three major
components.
1. Satellites
2. Ground Control Stations
3. GPS receivers or units

1. Satellites: There are 24 satellites & 3 spare satellites. The exact location
of each of the satellites at any given moment is known. Very accurate clocks
are installed onboard these satellites. The satellites send radio signals
continuously towards earth. These signals contain several pieces of
information such as satellite ID number, time stamp, exact position of
satellite etc.
2. Ground Control Stations: These are five control stations to monitor the
satellites. These stations unable the information on earth to be transmitted
to the satellites. Control stations track satellites & update the position of
each satellites continuously. These stations ensure accuracy of the system.
3. GPS receivers: GPS units are referred to as receivers. These units receive radio signals from
satellites, which contain important information such as time stamp, satellite ID number, satellite
position etc. The receiver knows exactly when the signal leaves the satellite (time stamp) and
when the signal arrives at the receiver. Hence, it is possible to calculate the distance from
satellites as distance time velocity of light. The receiver also knows the exact position of
satellite via the signal. The receiver is therefore able to determine its exact distance from
satellite.

Working of GPS:
The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite navigation system providing worldwide
coverage. A group of 24 satellites, circling twice-daily 20,000 km above the earth's surface,
transmit coded signals that are picked up by GPS receivers. The constellation of navigation
satellites around the earth enables position to be determined anywhere at any time, and in any
weather condition - for free!
By recognising the codes for each satellite, the receiver can determine the time taken for the
signal to be transmitted. The GPS uses this information to then calculate the distance to each
satellite. Once four or more satellites are located, the GPS "triangulates" the distances to provide
a location on the earth's surface, i.e. longitude, latitude, and elevation.

However, the signal is still prone to a number of errors that can reduce the positional accuracy.
These include atmospheric errors, multi-path errors, satellite and receiver errors, and intentional
errors.
Atmospheric errors are introduced as the signal passes through the atmospheric layers. Charged
particles and moisture droplets delay the signal, leading to timing inaccuracies. Atmospheric
errors may range from 3 to 50 m, depending on the time of day and the arrangement of satellites
in the sky. A "dual-frequency" GPS minimises these errors through computer modelling or by
comparing the relative speeds of two different signals - but these receivers are costly.
Multi-path errors occur when the signal bounces off obstructions, such as buildings or sheds,
before reaching the receiver. Such errors may exceed 100 m in certain situations. Complex signal
rejection procedures - or simply using the GPS in wide-open spaces - should minimise these
errors.
Satellite (or "ephemeris") errors result when the broadcast orbit differs from the actual orbit.
The US Department of Defence uses radar to determine these errors, and any updated positional
information can be added to the satellite code to reduce this error. Receiver errors result largely
from noise or the use of inaccurate clocks inside the GPS unit - but can be minimised with more
expensive clocks.
To prevent hostile parties using GPS, an intentional error was added to the satellite signal. This
code degradation, known as "selective availability" (SA), introduced a random clock error into
each satellite. When SA is operative, range measurements may be biased by as much as 30-50 m.
Applying a "differential correction" minimized this intentional error however, SA was removed
in May 2000, vastly improving the accuracy of all GPS units.

Functions of GPS:

For connecting & storing points.

For collecting & storing routes, a path between two or more points.

'GOTO' function is useful in guiding to a predetermined point.

GPS can be programmed to 'beep' when you are within a certain distance of
the defined way point.

Marine GPS with built-in tide tables provide information & ranges for any date
& any place.

GPS can calculate ground speed as you walk, run, drive or fly.

In addition to providing with your latitude & longitude, GPS provides you with
altitude information.

Applications of GPS in Fisheries GIS:

It is providing to be a useful tool in providing cost effective data for creation &
updation of GIS.
Provide ground control points (GCP's) for remote sensing applications.
The latest GPS equipment includes software which can allow for the capture of
any attribute or feature data along with its GPS given position, so as to form
a field mapping system. The data obtained can then be directly exported to
GIS package.
In marine fisheries, it would allow for a survey vessel to continuously monitor
water quality along any transect while recording the exact location. The real
time mapping of data could then be done.

 It is also possible to record trawlers location & also trawler catch data at a
specified interval of time & at the end of a fishing trip, the vessel would have
a complete record on disk of catch against location.

Reproduced, with permission, from: Washino, R. K., and B. L. Wood. n.d. Application
of remote sensing to vector arthropod surveillance and control. American Journal of Tropical
Medicine and Hygiene. In press.
Running head: REMOTE SENSING AND VECTOR SURVEILLANCE

Title: APPLICATION OF REMOTE

SENSING TO VECTOR ARTHROPOD
SURVEILLANCE AND CONTROL
Authors:
Robert K. Washino

Department of Entomology

University of California, Davis

Byron L. Wood

TGS Technology, Inc.

NASA Ames Research Center

Moffett Field, California

Corresponding Author:

R. K. Washino

Professor of Entomology

Department of Entomology

University of California

Davis, CA 95616

(916) 752-6970

(916) 752-1537 FAX

In Press:
American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Abstract: A need exists to further develop new technologies, such as remote sensing and
geographic information systems analysis, for estimating arthropod vector abundance in
aquatic habitats and predicting adult vector population outbreaks. A brief overview of
remote sensing technology in vector surveillance and control is presented, and suggestions
are made on future research opportunities in light of current and proposed remote sensing
systems.

Introduction

During the 1960's, views of the earth provided by images from early meteorological satellites
and the United State's manned spacecraft program stimulated interest in developing a series of
civilian earth resource satellites. The first of these satellites, the Earth Resources Technology
Satellite (ERTS-1), was launched by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
on July 23, 1972.* In the 20 years since then, the U.S. and a number of other nations have
continued to develop and launch increasingly sophisticated remote sensing systems that now
provide regular, global coverage of the earth's surface. Today, remote sensing data acquired by
these systems are commonly used in such diverse disciplines as agriculture, forestry, geology,
and environmental planning. However, the use of these data for monitoring environmental
conditions that influence the patterns of arthropod vector-borne diseases has been limited.
Fortunately, from the standpoint of developing regional vector surveillance and control
programs, this situation is changing. This paper will (1) summarize the current status of malaria
and disease vector surveillance needs, (2) present a brief overview of remote sensing technology,
and (3) review past, present and future applications of remote sensing in vector surveillance and
control.
Background
Currently, nearly half of the earth's people live in tropical or temperate regions where they may
be a risk to one or more vector-borne diseases. Approximately 2.1 billion people, in over 100
countries, are at risk of malaria alone[1]. In recent years, the situation has been improving in
some areas while worsening in others. However, overall prevalence continues to increase in
many parts of Africa, Asia, and the Americas[2].
The growing prevalence of malaria worldwide has led many agencies and institutions, including
the World Health Organization (WHO), to call for the development of new and innovative
approaches to malaria surveillance and control[3]. An essential element in this development is
the recognition of the variability of environmental and epidemiological parameters that influence
the patterns of malaria vector populations and disease transmission risk. During its larval stage,
the vector of malaria requires an aquatic environment frequently described in terms of vegetation
and water. In many areas it is possible to reduce the prevalence of malaria by locating and
treating these larval habitats[4]. Unfortunately, current techniques for locating larval habitats and
monitoring mosquito populations are labor-intensive, time-consuming, and impractical over large
areas.
Malaria surveillance most often includes monitoring (1) the disease in human populations, (2)
patterns of drug resistance in parasites, and (3) intensity of transmission by vector populations. In
malaria control programs where vector control constitutes an important component in the overall
strategy, a surveillance system to accurately estimate vector abundance is essential. Such
programs most often focus on quantifying important epidemiologic parameters of the anopheline
adult population, but a basic understanding of the aquatic stages of vector biology is also
extremely relevant to malaria control[1]. Theoretically, maintaining a reliable system of
monitoring the larval population of a vector species allows at least some time (minimal as it
might be) to exert control measures over the emerging adult population, or under certain
circumstances, deciding that larviciding may be more appropriate than adulticiding.

One of the major barriers to developing an acceptable vector surveillance program of any sort is,
however, in designing and implementing a sampling system to adequately monitor the vector
larval population. For example, in California, where 100,000 - 240,000 ha of land are devoted to
rice cultivation each year, the following three factors make the implementation of any
conventional larval surveillance program a near logistical impossibility: (1) the magnitude of the
habitat (i.e., a single rice field may vary in size from five to several hundred ha; (2) the
extremely low density of mosquito larvae in rice fields (e.g., with Anopheles freeborni, at least
1150 dips would be required to achieve a reliability level of 0.25 for mean population densities
of 0.1 larvae per dip; (3) the short length of the aquatic larval stage which may be as brief as 5 to
7 days in culicines and 7 to 9 days in anophelines. Results of field studies (Christensen, J.B., and
R.K. Washino, University of California, Davis, unpubl.; Pitcairn, J.J., LT. Wilson, R.K. Washino
and E. Rejmankova, NASA Ames and University of California, Davis. unpubl.) reaffirm the need
to develop new technologies, such as remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS)
analysis, for estimating vector abundance in aquatic habitats.
At both regional and local scales, the spatial and temporal patterns of anopheline vector
populations are strongly influenced by elevation, temperature, precipitation and humidity[5].
Individually, these factors are not easily characterized using remote sensing directly. However,
the vegetation of an area reflects the integration of all these factors, and this integration can be
sensed remotely. Because remote sensing data acquired in the visible and infrared regions of the
electromagnetic spectrum are sensitive to subtle differences in vegetation and water, they provide
a potential tool for surveying large areas to identify vector habitats and direct control measures.
Remote sensing
We have all become accustomed to the "birds-eye" view of the earth provided by photographs
and images acquired from aircraft as well as from manned and un-manned spacecraft. However,
in order to understand how remote sensing data can be applied in disease vector surveillance, it is
necessary to review a few basic principles.
Remote sensing has been defined as: "... the science and art of obtaining information about an
object, area, or phenomenon through the analysis of data acquired by a device that is not in
contact with the object, area, or phenomenon under investigation."[6] Traditional methods of
acquiring remote sensing data employ cameras or a variety of electronic sensing devices that can
be mounted on platforms located anywhere from a few meters to thousands of kilometers from
the object, area, or phenomenon of interest.
The "science" of remote sensing rests on the fact that every object, area, or phenomenon reflects
and emits energy at specific and distinctive wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Acquisition of remote sensing data for environmental monitoring is generally restricted to the
visible, infrared, and microwave regions of this spectrum. The "art" of remote sensing lies in the
ability to exploit this basic matter and energy relationship, in order to identify, map, or monitor
features of interest. Passive sensors include photography and muitispectral scanners which record
reflected or emitted energy. In contrast, active sensors such as radar transmit short bursts of
microwave energy to "illuminate" the surface; these systems then record the return signal from
within their field of view.

Several characteristics of remote sensing data make them especially well suited for studying
environmental processes: (1) imagery acquired from aircraft or satellite platforms provides a
regional perspective of the earth's surface; (2) sensors can be calibrated to record in spectral
regions beyond those to which the human eye is sensitive; (3) data are commonly available in
digital format for computer analysis and integration with other digital databases; and (4) they
provide a historical record of conditions for a particular area or region.
Aerial black-and-white, color, and color-infrared photography are the most commonly used
forms of passive remote sensing. Black-and-white film records reflected energy as a continuous
gray scale in the visible or near-infrared regions, between 0.4
and 0.9
. In color
photography, reflected energy is recorded as gray scales on three separate film layers that, like
the human eye, are sensitive to the blue (0.4 - 0.5

m), green (0.5 - 0.6

m), and red (0.6 -

0.7
m) regions. In contrast to normal color film,, color-infrared is manufactured to record in
the green, red, and near-infrared regions.
The sensitivity of photographic film is restricted to no more than three spectral regions between
0.3 and 0.9

m at any one time. However, using an electronic multispectral scanner** it is

possible to extend this range from the ultraviolet (0.3

m) through the infrared and thermal

(14.0
m) regions. Multispectral scanners can be calibrated to simultaneously record in many
discrete spectral regions, and because they can record and transmit data electronically (i.e., in
digital format), they are well suited for use on satellite platforms.
The digital image generated by multispectral scanner systems is actually a two-dimensional array
of discrete picture elements, or pixels. The sensors for each array are calibrated to record
reflected and/or emitted energy in a specific spectral region. Individual pixels in this array may
be from a few meters to several kilometers square. The value (digital number, DN) of each pixel,
which correspond to photographic gray levels, represent the average reflectance over the ground
area being measured. Multispectral scanners are therefore able to record more subtle differences
in surface reflectance than photographic systems. Depending on user needs, the data can be
processed for either visual or computer analysis.
Radar systems differ from other remote sensing systems in that they provide their own source of
energy within the microwave (1 mm to 1 m) portion of the electromagnetic spectrum to
illuminate features of interest. Microwave reflections or emissions from features bear no direct
relationship to their counterparts in the visible or thermal regions of the electromagnetic
spectrum, and therefore provide a markedly different picture of the surface[6]. However, such
systems have an advantage over passive systems in that they can be used day or night under all
weather conditions. The interaction of radar wavelengths and surface features, such as
vegetation, is complex and involves plant size, density, and background soil conditions. In
general, the shorter wavelengths are best for sensing canopy characteristics, whereas longer
wavelengths respond to larger features such as a tree trunks and limbs.

The interpretation of aerial photography, or enhanced multispectral imagery that has been
photographically processed, involves the visual identification of objects and the determination of
their meaning or significance based on color, shape, size, shadow, tone, texture, pattern, and
location. A skilled interpreter is able to recognize objects on aerial photography by consciously
or unconsciously synthesizing a few or all of these factors. This skill is developed through
experience looking at photography and a good background or field knowledge of the objects of
interest. In contrast, analysis of digital multispectral scanner data requires both computer
processing and human interpretation of the results of the processing. Specialized computer
programs have been developed to handle the large volume of digital data (e.g., a Landsat TM
scene contains nearly 252 million digital values corresponding to individual pixels) generated by
multispectral scanners. These include the capability to geographically register, enhance,
transform, and classify the data based on its spectral characteristics. The results of these
processes are then most frequently analyzed using statistical or visual methods of interpretation.
It should be kept in mind that the analysis and interpretation process provides the user with
discipline-specific information and is therefore the means to an end, not an end in itself. The
promise of remote sensing technology is to allow the user to extrapolate local-level
measurements to a regional scale and therefore to discern spatial and temporal patterns that could
not otherwise be seen.
Selecting the appropriate remote sensing data for a given study requires consideration of the
data's spatial, spectral, and temporal resolution. The potential user needs to evaluate alternative
products in terms of the objects, areas, or phenomena of interest. In this regard, it is important to
determine if the data are being acquired (1) at an appropriate spatial scale, (2) in spectral regions
that will allow features of interest to be distinguished from their surroundings, and (3) at
appropriate times of the year to achieve the goals of the study.
Current Remote Sensing Systems
At the present time there are a number of civilian satellite remote sensing systems operated by
the U.S., France, Japan, Russia, India, and the European Space Agency (ESA) that provide
regular coverage over much of the earth's surface. The systems listed in Table 1 are the primary
ones that acquire visible and infrared digital data covering a range of spatial, spectral and
temporal resolutions. Each of these systems has bands located in regions necessary for
characterizing land cover, including difference between vegetation, water, and soil moisture
(Table 2).
All of the studies discussed in this paper have used remote sensing data that are commercially
available. From the standpoint of developing an operational surveillance or control program,
potential users need to know if appropriate data will continue to be available beyond the initial
study. Although a review of all available and proposed remote sensing systems is beyond the
scope of this paper, it is important to comment on some of the more commonly available types of
remote sensing data.
Beginning in the 1930's, quality standards were developed for the acquisition and processing of
black-and-white photography used for soil and crop inventory programs. Similar standards were
subsequently developed for color and color-infrared photography used in forestry and resource

mapping. Large-scale black-and-white-photography continues to be acquired on a regular basis

by the USDA, USGS, and NASA in a variety of environmental applications.
The launch of ERTS-1 in 1972 provided the first opportunity to acquire global remote sensing
data on a regular basis. The MSS scanners carried by ERTS-1 and subsequent Landsats 2, 3, 4
and 5 have provided uninterrupted acquisition of 4-channel data at a nominal resolution for over
20 years Beginning in 1982, a 30-m 7-channel Thematic Mapper (TM) scanner was added to the
Landsats 4 and 5 platforms. Landsat 6 is scheduled to be launched in 1993 and will provide
continuity of TM data with Landsats 4 and 5. This platform will also add several new
capabilities, including a 15-m panchromatic band that should be useful for detailed mapping.
Planning for the development of the next satellite in this series (Landsat 7) is already underway.
Landsats 6 and 7 will provide continuity of data acquisition into the 21st century.
A number of satellites have been launched as part of the continuing NOM series of
meteorological platforms. The 5-channel AVHRR muitispectral scanner was first included on
NOAA-6 in 1979. Since that time there have been five additional platforms that have supported a
similar AVHRR sensor. Current plans call for small changes in this sensor to improve its
capability to monitor worldwide vegetation patterns.
In the early 1980's the French began development of the SPOT series of remote sensing
satellites. The first in this series, SPOT 1, was launched in February, 1986. This was followed by
SPOT 2 in 1990, and plans call for the development and launch of three additional satellites
during the next decade.
The systems described above represent current state-of-the-art capabilities in commercial remote
sensing. Their evolution from low to high spatial and spectral resolution illustrates a trend
common throughout this technology. Sensors carried by Landsat, NOAA and SPOT will continue
to provide data into the 21st century. At the same time, new research capabilities continue to be
developed by the U.S., ESA, Japan, and Canada.
In the U.S., NASA's Mission to Planet Earth will include the continued development of both
existing and new remote sensing capabilities during the next decade. The new systems will
include a series of satellites dedicated to discipline-specific requirements, called Earth Probes,
and the Earth Observing System (EOS) that will include a series of multipurpose polar orbiting
systems.
Outside the U.S., the primary focus has been on the development of all-weather Synthetic
Aperture Radar (SAR) systems. In July 1991, the ESA launched the European Remote Sensing
satellite (ERS-1) into a sun-synchronous polar orbit. Among other instruments, ERS-1 carries a
SAR that will acquire 30-m resolution data every three days. Like ERS-1, the Japanese Earth
Resources Satellite (JERS-1), launched in February 1992, supports an all weather SAR
capability. However, the JERS-1 sensor package also includes a 7-channel optical sensor. Both
JERS-1 sensors have a spatial resolution of 18 m.
The commercial and research systems described above illustrate some of the issues related to the
application of remote sensing technologies to many existing environmental issues. Over the past

20 years, the technology of remote sensing has advanced at a rapid rate. Users in many
disciplines are only now beginning to exploit the benefits of remote sensing technologies that
were developed between 20 and 50 years ago. Fortunately, this gap between technology and
application appears to be shrinking as new, more sophisticated and "user-friendly" applications
software and analysis techniques, such as GIS, become available. Several public health
investigators have demonstrated that a variety of remote sensing data can be used to characterize
and monitor environmental factors that influence vector population dynamics and therefore
provide valuable input to regional surveillance and control programs. The following examples
may serve to illustrate some of the future opportunities where vector surveillance and control
programs can benefit from this rapidly evolving technology.
Application of remote sensing data in disease vector surveillance and control
The use of aerial photography and manual interpretation techniques to identify and map disease
vector habitats dates from 1949 when Audy[7] published a study on the distribution of scrub
typhus in portions of southeast Asia. He determined that hyperendemic disease foci were
associated with a vegetation type known as parang. Conventional black-and-white aerial
photography was used to identify the distribution of parang vegetation, and therefore map the
distribution of scrub typhus foci. The darker tone and rough texture of parang vegetation on this
photography made it possible to distinguish it from surrounding types using visual interpretation
techniques.
Similar visual interpretation techniques that exploit tone and texture have been used to identify
and map landscape units associated with tick-borne encephalitis and tularemia in parts of the
(former) Soviet Union (Personal communication from Korenberg, E., Gamaleya Institute for
Epidemiology and Microbiology, Academy of Medical Sciences, Moscow, Russia). These studies
were based on the concepts of landscape epidemiology and natural nidality of disease developed
by Pavlovsky[8]. In 1973, NASA scientists used visual interpretation of color and color-infrared
photography to map vegetation types associated with Aedes sollicitans breeding habitat near
New Orleans, Louisiana[9]. High-altitude color-infrared photography was also used by Wagner
et al.[10] in 1979 to produce a detailed map of Aedes breeding sites in a newly formed mosquito
abatement district in Michigan. These habitat maps were subsequently used to direct control
measures. More recently, Welch et al.[11,12] have used color-infrared aerial photography as a
surveillance tool for Psorophora columbiae oviposition habitats in Texas rice fields. Their work
was based on the visual interpretation of photography acquired during the summer and winter to
map general land-use patterns and identify potential within-field breeding sites.
One of the first uses of multispectral scanner data was in the early 1970's when investigations
from NASA and Mexico's Comision Nacional del Espacio Exterior developed a remote sensing
approach for monitoring environmental parameters required for the propagation of the
screwworm fly[13]. The remote sensing data used in this study were acquired by the ERTS and
NOM satellites, as well as aircraft platforms. Although the results of this study indicated the
general reliability of using satellite data for measuring environmental parameters associated with
screwworm fly propagabon, the program never became operational. In 1976, Cibula[14]
demonstrated that computer processing techniques could be used to classify airborne
multispectral scanner data for identifying vegetation types associated with Aedes sollicitans in

Louisiana. A similar approach was used by Barnes and Cibula[15] in 1979 to map Aedes
sollicitans habitats throughout the entire Mississippi Delta.
In 1984, Cross et al.[16] used Landsat MSS data to describe the geographic (landscape)
characteristics of sites in the Philippine Islands where cases of schistosoiasis were reported.
These measurements were combined with temperature and precipitation data to estimate the
probability of disease occurrence at specific locations. Like Cross, Hayes et al.[17] used Landsat
MSS data to identify and map mosquito larval habitats in Nebraska and South Dakota based on
their association with freshwater plant communities.
Linthicum et al.[18] used NOM AVHRR data to infer ecological parameters associated with Rift
Valley Fever (RVF) in Kenya. Correlations between vegetation index values and ecological
parameters indicated the possibility of predicting RVF viral activity in the mosquito vector. This
work was extended by Pope et al.[19] who used Landsat TM to identify potential vector breeding
sites known as dambos. High-resolution (1.6-m) multipolarization L-, C-, and X-band data were
evaluated for discriminating between flooded and nonflooded breeding sites. The results of their
research suggest that L-band (24.0 cm) data are best for making these distinctions. Finally,
Landsat TM data were used by Hugh-Jones[20] to identify tick habitats on the island of
Guadeloupe. He identified habitats that supported a range to tick populations based on calculated
vegetation and moisture indices.
With few exceptions, these studies focused on the ability to use remote sensing to identify and
map potential vector habitats based on vegetation, water, and soil. Not all vector habitat may,
however, produce high vector populations. Therefore, from the standpoint of developing
operational surveillance and control programs, it is necessary to go beyond habitat mapping and
make predictions of when and where vector production and disease transmission risk will be
greatest.
Predictive Studies
A few studies have attempted to take this next step and use remote sensing as input to predict
both the spatial and temporal dynamics of vector populations and disease transmission risk.
Interestingly, one of the first attempts at predictive modeling was the joint NASA-Mexico
screwworm project of the early 1970's[13]. This study attempted to combine remote sensing
measurements of vegetation, precipitation, and temperature to identify when and where
conditions would be favorable for screwworm production. The studies by Cross[16], Linthicum
et al.[18], and Pope et al.[19] also attempted to use remote sensing to predict the temporal as
well as spatial patterns, of habitat development, vector populations, and disease transmission
risk.
Malaria
At the present time, NASA's Global Monitoring and Human Health program is attempting to
develop a remote sensing-based model to predict which villages in a portion of the southern
coastal plain of Chiapas, Mexico, are "at risk" for malaria transmission. In this study, risk is
defined by the proximity of a village to the breeding, feeding, and resting habitats required by the

malaria vector Anopheles albimanus. In addition to this work, the following studies on African
trypanosomiasis, Lyme disease, and riceland mosquito vectors of malaria are addressing the issue
of predictive modelling and disease transmission risk based on the use of remote sensing and
GIS technologies.
African trypanosomiasis
African trypanosomiasis, transmitted by the bite of tsetse flies, occurs in scattered foci
throughout subsaharan Africa over an area in excess of 10 million sq. km where nearly 50
million people are at risk[21]. To identify, characterize, and map the patterns of tsetse fly habitat
over such a large area would be almost impossible using anything other than satellite imagery,
such as that acquired by the NOM AVHRR system. At this regional scale, Rogers and
Randolph[22] related measurements of vegetation type, derived from AVHRR data, to field
measurements of saturation deficit and tsetse fly population levels.***
These measurements of vegetation were derived using a ratio of the red and near-infrared
AVHRR channels, and were considered as an integrated picture of the environmental factors that
determine tsetse fly survival. Rogers and Randolph suggest that annually averaged AVHRR
measurements of vegetation could be used to locate areas where tsetse fly survival rate would be
highest and hence identify areas where humans were likely be at greatest risk of trypanosomiasis
transmission.
Lyme disease
Lyme disease, a spirochetal infection transmitted to humans by Ixodes ticks, is currently the most
prevalent, widely distributed and rapidly increasing vector-borne disease affecting human health
in the U.S. and the north temperate regions of the globe. However, tick populations and disease
incidence exhibit considerable spatial variability and depend on the interaction between humans,
vertebrate reservoir hosts, and infected ticks. Landscape features such as patchiness (i.e., edges
between brush, woodland and grassland and areas cleared for housing, roads, or trails) are likely
locations for contact between humans, hosts and ticks. Remote sensing data have been used to
identify and map landscape features associated with disease transmission risk.
In 1990, Daniel[23] used computer processing of Landsat MSS data to identify and map six
landscape elements in a region of Czechoslovakia. These included coniferous forest, deciduous
forest, mixed forest, water bodies, glades, and housing developments. The first three types were
found to be associated with the presence of ticks, while the housing class was significant in
assessing human exposure to ticks.
In the U.S., investigators from NASA's Ames Research Center and the New York Medical
College (NYMC) are currently using high-altitude aerial photography and Landsat TM imagery
to study the landscape epidemiology of Lyme disease along an urban-to-rural gradient in
Westchester County, New York. In this suburban County, Lyme disease has been characterized as
peridomestic, suggesting that transmission risk is greatest in areas where there is a mixture of
deciduous forest and residential developments that bring ticks, hosts, and humans into contract.

Field studies of the seroprevalence of canine antibodies to Lyme disease (an indirect measure of
human disease risk) indicate that exposure is not uniform, but increases by municipality from
south-to-north along the Westchester County urban-to-rural gradient[24]. Landsat TM data were
processed to identify key land cover types, and it was determined that composition also varied by
municipality from south-to-north. The land cover classification and canine seroprevalence data
were combined in a GIS and correlated by municipality. It was determined that canine
seroprevalence was positively correlated with deciduous forest (r=.82) and negatively correlated
with specific residential and urban classes (r=-.91, and r=-.80) the proportions of which could be
used to describe the urban-to-rural gradient. The GIS was also used to investigate the adjacency
of deciduous forest and residential properties with dense vegetation as a potential measure of
human-vector contact. The residential dense vegetation pixels were categorized as with or
without a deciduous forest edge. The proportions of "forest-edge" for each municipality were
correlated with the canine seroprevalence (r=.84) rates along the urban-to-rural gradient[25].
These results of the Westchester County research suggest general correlations between landscape
and disease transmission risk. It also illustrates how remote sensing and GIS can be combined to
study the structure and composition of a landscape as it relates to the epidemiology of disease. A
similar study, to combine remote sensing and GIS analysis techniques, is ongoing in California,
where Anopheles freeborni, the western malaria vector, breeds in irrigated rice fields.
Riceland Mosquito Studies
Rice culture is a prime agricultural mosquito-breeding habitat of concern to public health and
mosquito control agencies throughout the temperate and tropical areas of the world. From a
global standpoint, approximately 140 million hectares of land are annually devoted to rice
cultivation. Because rice fields are flood-irrigated on a semi-permanent basis during each
growing season, they provide ideal breeding habitat for a number of potential vectors of malaria,
as well as other vector-borne diseases. One of these potential vectors, Anopheles freeborni, the
western malaria mosquito, is distributed throughout nearly 240,000 ha of irrigated rice in
northern and central California, and can serve as a model for the study of riceland mosquito
population dynamics using remote sensing and GIS technologies.
In 1985 investigators from the University of California, Davis (UCD) and NASA's Ames
Research Center began a study to evaluate the use of Landsat TM imagery and GIS modeling
techniques to distinguish between high and low anopheline-producing rice fields in California.
The specific objective of the project was to acquire ground data on rice-field phenology, and
mosquito populations simultaneously with remote sensing data. In 1987, ground data collected
from a total of 104 rice fields included a variety of chemical, physical and biological variables
that would be analyzed in relation to the remotely-sensed spectral data. Chemical factors
examined from the rice irrigation water included cations, anions, Ph, electrical conductivity, and
the nature of herbicide applications. Physical parameters included water temperature, depth and
source, and field compass orientation. Biological parameters included estimates of phytoplankton
abundance by fluorometric measurement of chlorophyll A concentration, microscopic counts of
plankton per ml, and diversity (Shannon-Weiner Index). Estimates on the abundance of higher
vascular plants that were emersed, floating and submersed, were assigned a value on the seven
degree Braun-Blanquet scale. Rice height and phenological stage were recorded on the basis of

the number of tillers, leaf area, and biomass. Mosquito abundance, as well as the presence of
potential invertebrate and vertebrate populations were measured by dipping. Finally, the location
of occupied livestock pastures throughout the study area was also recorded[26].
The chemical, biological and physical field measurements, that were not observable with remote
sensing data, were used to evaluate habitat quality. Vegetation parameters such as number of
tillers, leaf area and biomass were also used to evaluate habitat quality, as well as characterize
rice canopy development which could be correlated with the remote sensing reflectance
measurements. The location of occupied livestock pastures was recorded as part of a GIS land
use coverage of the study area.
Remotely sensed data (reflected visible and infrared, emitted infrared and thermal wavelengths)
were acquired on nine dates from April through August using the twelve channel Daedalus TM
Simulator on the NASA ER-2 aircraft and the seven channel TM on the Landsat satellite. These
data were used to identify land cover and monitor canopy development within individual ricefields. Although nearly all of the rice-growing area in California is contained within a single
Landsat TM image, the 1987 study focused on 104 fields in a 145 sq km area within the scene.
The results of this study demonstrated that remote sensing reflectance measurements of earlyseason rice canopy development and GIS measurements of distance between rice fields and
livestock pastures could be combined to distinguish between high and low anopheline-producing
rice fields. These distinctions could be made with 90% accuracy nearly 2 months before
anopheline larval populations peaked[27,28,29].
Current research is focusing on the use GIS spatial analysis capabilities to describe the
landscape, or land cover, composition around each of the 104 rice fields used in the 1987 study.
GIS functions were used to create a series of buffers, at 0.5 km intervals between 1.0 and 3.0 km,
around each rice field. The size of the buffers was based on the results of the 1987 study which
showed that 65 percent of the high, and 28 percent of the low anopheline-producing rice fields
were within 3 km of a pasture. The preliminary results of this analysis demonstrates that the land
cover surrounding the low and high anopheline-producing rice fields is noticeably different for
each buffer interval. Land cover surrounding the low anopheline-producing rice fields was
dominated by rice and field crops, whereas that surrounding the high anopheline-producing rice
fields contains greater amounts of pasture, orchard and, native vegetation. In terms of distance,
the greatest difference in land cover mixture between low and high anopheline-producing rice
fields was between 1.5 and 2.5 km[30].
The results of the initial models, based on rice-field canopy development and proximity to
bloodmeal sources, and land cover mixture within buffers provide the basis for a more
sophisticated anopheline-population dynamics model. Soon after adult female mosquitoes
emerge from the rice-field habitat, successfully mate, and bloodfeed, they often seek out resting
sites, e.g., mature fruit orchards and/or native vegetation which contains sources of carbohydrate
meal and a dense vegetation canopy for protection from adverse elements including high
temperature, low humidity, and heavy winds. Once the bloodmeal has been digested, the adult
will oviposit in an appropriate habitat. The gonotrophic cycle is then repeated. The probability of
an adult female mosquito successfully completing this cycle can be estimated based on: 1)
distance between each element, 2) type of land cover separating each element, and 3) state of

vegetation canopy development of the potential habitat and resting sites. Research is currently
underway to use remote sensing and GIS capabilities to quantify these factors and estimate the
probability that an adult female mosquito will be successful in locating each of the elements
(habitat, bloodmeal, and resting site) necessary for its survival and reproduction.
Conclusions
Over 20 years ago, Cline[31] published a brief commentary in which he outlined the potential
opportunities offered by the use of remote sensing to measure many of the associations between
environment and human disease. Despite similar "calls-to-action" during the intervening years
and the results of the studies mentioned above, the public health community is just beginning to
realize the potential offered by remote sensing for vector surveillance and control. The
proceedings of the 1990 "International conference on Applications of Remote Sensing to
Epidemiology and Parasitology" recently published in Preventative Veterinary Medicine[32]
serve to illustrate the diversity of potential remote sensing applications in vector surveillance and
control programs. Successful application of remote sensing technology depends on the ability to:
(1) extrapolate measurements made at a local level to a regional or global scale; (2) formulate
and test new research hypotheses; and (3) develop "near-real time" models to predict the spatial
and temporal patterns of vector populations and disease transmission risk. The dynamics of
vector-borne disease at any point are influenced by processes that operate at a variety of
landscape scales. Malaria, for example can be viewed as a local as well as global problem.
Remote sensing imagery (from high-resolution aerial photography to coarse-resolution satellite
imagery) when combined with GIS spatial analyses techniques can play an important role in
existing vector surveillance and control programs at local and regional scales. The findings of the
studies cited above, specifically those on African trypanosomiasis, Lyme disease, and riceland
anopheline populations illustrate how remote sensing and GIS technologies can provide
scientists with a new perspective with which to study the factors influencing the patterns of
vector-borne diseases at a variety of landscape scales. It is time that vector surveillance and
control programs began to exploit some of these opportunities.

Footnotes
* ERTS-1, renamed Landsat 1 in January 1975, was the first in a series of five earth resourcemonitoring satellites launched by the U.S. These satellites are maintained in a sun-synchronous
polar orbit at a nominal altitude of 900 km. Currently, the Landsats 4 and 5 carry a four-channel
Multispectral Scanner (MSS) and a seven-channel Thematic Mapper (TM) that acquire imagery
along a 185-km wide swath with a repeat cycle of 16 days.
** Multispectral scanner systems use electronic detectors to record reflected or emitted energy.
They can be designed to sense in a number of spectral regions simultaneously. For example,
Landsat's MSS system records in four spectral regions whereas the Airborne Visible and Infrared
Spectrometer (AVIRIS) system can record in 224 spectral channels.

*** Saturation deficit is a measure of the drying power of the air (such as evaporation rate) and
represents the difference in vapor pressure between the saturation and actual water vapor
pressure.
Acknowledgments
This work was supported in part by the USDA RESEARCH GRANT CR806771-02, RF-4148A,
NASA Ames Research Center/University of California, Davis Consortium, (NASA 2-428), and
Special Mosquito Augmentation Fund, University of California. We thank Louisa R. Beck,
NASA Ames Research Center; members of the NASA Di-MOD Group, Ames Research Center;
and B. Yuval and D. A. Dritz Department of Entomology, University of California, Davis, for
their assistance in the preparation of the manuscript.
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Table 1 Characteristics of commercial remote sensing systems and products. Turn-around time
and costs are given for digital products only.
Table 2 Spectral regions in which visible-infrared remote sensing data are typically acquired and
their principal applications. The systems that acquire data in each region are also identified.
(explain TM, MSS etc.)