Major Update to Satellite-Based Datasets Used to Assess Salt Marsh Vulnerability Nationwide
UVVR evaluates the ratio of unvegetated area to vegetated area across an entire marsh system, covering marsh plains, channels, ponds, and intertidal flats. Larger values of UVVR indicate more open water and less vegetation, which leads to more vulnerability to ongoing marsh loss. Before using satellite imagery, all UVVR assessments were conducted using site-specific studies. However, individual studies are labor-intensive and require multiple aerial surveys, detailed merging of elevation and imagery data, and the interpretation of multiple imagery classes. Developing a method to use Landsat 8 satellite imagery enables users to get broad assessments of vulnerable salt marshes without requiring