Coral Reef Modeling

[John Guinotte]

Dear Coral Listers,

I have posted the results of my Master's thesis "A Model for Predicting
Coral Reef Habitat in the Tropical Western Atlantic and Eastern Pacific"
at the following address:

http://ghsun1.kgs.ukans.edu:8002/LOhtml/MxHhtml/website.html

The MexHab model is a regional-scale extension / improvement of ReefHab,
a model developed in 1997 by Dr. Joanie Kleypas of the National Center
for Atmospheric Research.

Kleypas, J.A.  1997.  Modeled estimates of global reef habitat and
carbonate production since the last glacial maximum. Paleoceanography
12(4):533-545.

MexHab is a raster GIS (ESRI Software) that uses environmental data sets
(SST, Salinity, Nutrients [NO3, PO4], Light, and Slope) to identify
areas suitable for reef habitat to occur [spatial resolution ~ 2 x 2
min]. The purpose of posting MexHab model results is to generate
comments, suggestions, questions, etc., from reef scientists who are
interested in this method of predictive reef research.

In at least some areas, model prediction of known offshore reefs seems
good; I know that coastal (fringing) reefs are overpredicted, and hope
to be able to improve future generations of the model by including some
terrestrial variables such
as geology and runoff.  However, I am particularly interested in
validating or discrediting the offshore "false positives" (e.g. off the
Northeastern coasts of Honduras - Nicaragua and the Yucatan Peninsula).
If you can confirm / discount that reefs do / do not occur in these
regions (see MAPS), please contact me.

Thank You-
John

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John Guinotte
Kansas Geological Survey
University of Kansas
1930 Constant Ave.
Lawrence, KS 66047

Voice: (785) 864-3965 ext.431
Fax: (785) 864-5317
Email: guinotte at kgs.ukans.edu
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