Maps of Shallow-water Banks in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Derived from Moderate Resolution Landsat Satellite Imagery

Shallow-water (generally, less than 30 meters) bank areas in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands were identified using semi-automated image analysis of Landsat 7 ETM+ satellite imagery. An area of approximately 10,000 sq. km was mapped using the moderate-resolution satellite imagery and shallow-water bank maps were generated for the French Frigate Shoals, Gardner Pinnacles, Lisianski Island, Laysan Island, Maro Reef, Necker Island, Nihoa Island, Pioneer Bank, Raita Bank, St. Rogatien Bank, the Brooks Banks, and the bank west of Nihoa. This project is a cooperative effort among the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to produce benthic habitat maps and georeferenced imagery for the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. This project was conducted in support of the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force.