AquaticsNearshore_img_AdmiraltyIn_2025

This aerial imagery mosaic was collected on behalf of the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (WA DNR) by NV5 as part of a program to map the annual extent of floating kelp canopies in Washington State. There are two species of floating kelp in Washington: bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana; found in all surveyed areas) and giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera; found along the Pacific coast and Strait of Juan de Fuca). Floating kelp forests provide essential habitat for many marine species and are culturally and economically significant in the Northeast Pacific and around the world. Areas surveyed with aerial imagery in 2025 include the US side of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Northern Pacific Coast, Admiralty Inlet, North Puget Sound, the San Juan Islands, Saratoga Passage and the Whidbey Island Basin, WA DNR managed Aquatic Reserves (Cherry Point AR, Cypress Island AR, and Smith & Minor Islands AR), and the Tacoma Narrows. Aerial surveys were conducted between July and October during low-tide, slack-current conditions identified by WA DNR as optimal for kelp forest monitoring. This imagery has four spectral bands (Band_1 = red, Band_2 = green, Band_3 = blue, Band_4 = near-infrared) plus an alpha channel (Band_5), and was collected at 6-inch spatial resolution. A full report summarizing collection methods can be found here. Floating kelp canopies can be readily visualized using an “NGB” band combination (near-infrared, green, blue) but can also be seen in many places with standard RGB imagery (red, green, blue). Floating kelp distribution data generated based on this imagery supports WA DNR's long-term kelp forest monitoring goals and mandate to ensure environmental protection of state-owned aquatic lands. Imagery from this project is publicly distributed in compressed (lossy) MrSID format for accessibility and efficient visualization, and is therefore not suitable for image classification and analysis. Please contact the WA DNR Nearshore Habitat Program about other data products that are available to be shared. For more information and inquiries about products available at specific locations, please contact Danielle Claar, WA DNR, Nearshore Habitat Program at: [e-mail] or [e-mail].本航空影像镶嵌图由NV5受华盛顿州自然资源部（Washington State Department of Natural Resources, WA DNR）委托采集，作为华盛顿州漂浮海带冠层年度分布制图项目的一部分。 华盛顿州境内的漂浮海带共包含两个物种：公牛海带（Nereocystis luetkeana，在所有调查区域均有分布）以及巨型海带（Macrocystis pyrifera，分布于太平洋沿岸与胡安·德富卡海峡）。漂浮海带林为众多海洋物种提供了关键栖息地，在东北太平洋乃至全球范围内都具有重要的文化与经济价值。 2025年航空影像覆盖的调查区域包括胡安·德富卡海峡美方一侧、北太平洋沿岸、阿德默勒尔蒂湾、普吉特湾北部、圣胡安群岛、萨拉托加水道与惠德比岛盆地，以及华盛顿州自然资源部（WA DNR）管理的水生保护区（切里角保护区、赛普拉斯岛保护区以及史密斯与米诺群岛保护区）与塔科马海峡。航空调查于7月至10月期间开展，作业条件选择了WA DNR认定的最适合海带林监测的低潮、缓流时段。 该影像包含4个光谱波段（波段1为红光、波段2为绿光、波段3为蓝光、波段4为近红外光），外加1个alpha通道（波段5），空间分辨率为6英寸。详细汇总采集方法的完整报告可参见指定链接。使用“NGB”波段组合（近红外、绿光、蓝光）可清晰呈现漂浮海带冠层，在多数区域也可通过标准RGB影像（红光、绿光、蓝光）观测到该冠层。 基于该影像生成的漂浮海带分布数据，可助力WA DNR达成其长期海带林监测目标，以及其保护州属水生土地环境的法定职责。本项目产出的影像以压缩（有损）的MrSID（多分辨率无缝影像数据库）格式公开分发，以提升可访问性与可视化效率，因此不适用于图像分类与分析任务。 如需了解其他可共享的数据产品，请联系WA DNR近岸栖息地项目组。若需获取特定区域可用数据产品的更多信息或咨询相关问题，请联系华盛顿州自然资源部近岸栖息地项目组的Danielle Claar，联系方式：[e-mail] 或 [e-mail].