UC Santa Cruz

Canopy forming kelp species (Order: Laminariales), the foundation ofproductive and species-rich ecosystems along rocky coastlines in temperate and Arctic regions, generate a diversity of provisioning, regulating, and supporting ecosystem services. In the northeast Pacific region, giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) and bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana) are the dominant canopy forming kelps, which can be detected using remote sensing techniques. Historically, fixed-winged-aircraft-based aerial surveys and spaceborne satellites have been used to study canopy forming kelps via remote sensing, but increasingly unoccupied aircraft systems (UASs) are an emerging tool for kelp mapping. The following dissertation utilizes existing and emerging remote sensing techniques to advance the field of kelp remote sensing and provides insight into kelp monitoring and restoration; notably the implementation of ecosystem-based and adaptive management strategies using long-term in situ and remote sensing datasets.