Special Issue of Coral Reefs, on Remote Sensing of Coral Reefs

Volume 23 of Coral Reefs will include a Special Issue entitled ''Remote Sensing of Coral Reefs.'' The aim of this thematic issue is to present and discuss the potential of remote sensing data to increase the understanding of coral reef processes at various temporal and spatial scales. Integration of remote sensing data in coral reef studies is a very fast-moving domain, boosted by mul-tidisciplinary research, continuous technological devel-opment, increased numbers of platforms, and increased availability of calibrated digital data providing repetitive synoptic coverage. In many aspects, remote sensing of reefs is still in its infancy and is still poorly used for scientific/management purposes, despite its potential. Innovative research suggests that space-borne, airborne, and shipborne passive or active data can provide sub-stantial input in numerous studies on reef ecosystem processes such as: refining hydrodynamic models by assimilation of remote sensing data; characterization of reef growth patterns; assessment of the influence of climate/weather on reef growth patterns; design and calibration/validation of bio-optical models; biogeo-chemical budgets; assessment of biodiversity spatial patterns; connection between land and reef changes; import and export of materials via oceanic currents, rivers or sediment plumes; design of bleaching/disease/ turbidity risk maps; change detection; fusion of active and passive data for high resolution 2-D or 3-D mapping; optimization approach for mapping bottom types/bathymetry/water quality; fusion of multi-scale data; and innovative spectral unmixing or classification algorithms. These are some of the topics where remote sensing combined with modeling are, or in the near future will be, key to understanding processes between reefs, land, ocean, atmosphere, and human communi-ties. Potential topics for this Special Issue are not limited to the above subjects. A mapping exercise without sig-nificant methodological novelty would not be considered except in the form of one-or two-page ''Reef Sites'' communications for sites of particular interest where classification schemes, accuracy assessment protocol, error matrix, and surface areas of each class will be required. Reviews on an appropriate theme are also welcome. The issue (approximately 100 pages) will be published as soon as 12 papers have been accepted; additional submissions will be considered for publication in sub-sequent issues. Papers should be submitted no later than the end of February 2003. Papers should follow the guidelines for Coral Reefs and may be submitted to either of the Guest Editors in pdf or regular format. To ensure a speedy publication, manuscripts should be submitted as soon as possible to compile the volume for a publication antic-ipated for Volume 23, 2004 publication.