The main issues addressed by remote sensing in aquaculture development are: (i) strategic planning for development; and (ii) suitability of site and zoning; each issue presents different data requirements. Suitability of site and zoning require progressively more detailed data at higher resolutions, and analyses should provide relatively higher accuracy of results. Offshore mariculture may offer significant potential for increasing world food production in an environmentally sustainable way. Data from satellite remote sensing are indispensable to conducting estimates of the area suitable for offshore mariculture. Data wholly or partly form satellite remote sensing (i.e. sea surface temperature, chlorophyll-a, depth, and current speed) can be used to conduct the estimates of offshore mariculture potential. Planning for aquaculture development requires understanding of the environment and assessing the suitability of a given region or site for a project to be sustainable. Several water quality and physical properties of the water bodies of interest to aquaculture can be assessed by remote sensing in coastal environments. Some of the studies using RS & GIS include preliminary assessment of shellfish aquaculture in tropical areas, shrimp farming suitability and planning need to address sustainability issues concerning mangroves and coral reefs, which are important habitats for coastal fisheries.
Source: Aqua Aquaria