Nipissing Earth Observation Laboratory

This laboratory is used primarily for the analysis of digital remotely sensed imagery acquired from various satellite platforms (e.g., Landsat, SPOT, Radarsat-2, RapidEye, ALOS PALSAR-2, WorldView-2) as well as from imagery collected from two of our Unmanned Aerial Systems (Aeryon Scout, DraganFlyer X-8).  There are several PCs which support the most updated versions of PCI Geomatica, ArcGIS, SAR Polarimetry Workstation and Definiens eCognition.  Two ASD FieldSpec HandHeld Portable Spectroradiometer are also available for hyperspectral field data collection.

Biophysical inventorying equipment stored in the lab includes one LAI-2000 Plant Canopy Analyzer, two AccuPAR LP-80 Ceptometers, one LI-3050C Portable Area Meter, Leica DISTO distance meters, Suunto clinometers, DBH tapes, spherical densiometers, BAF2 prisms and two HOBO Micro Station Data Loggers equipped with Photosynthetic Active Radiation sensors.

GPS equipment includes two GPS Pathfinder ProXT receivers, two Trimble 400C Recon Units, one Trimble GeoXT, two Trimble Hurricane Antenna Kits and respective software (Trimble, TerraSync Professional and Pathfinder Office). An older sub-metre differential GPS unit is also held in the lab (2 Ashtech SCA-12 receivers, Husky data collector and 2 external antennas).

In addition to academic publications the laboratory facilities are utilized for the training of graduate students and for supporting various applied research projects.  Such projects often results in technical reports for government and industrial partners around the world. Examples are as follows.

Technical Reports (Examples):

Duke, N.C., Mackenzie, J., Fennessy, R., Cormier, R. and Kovacs, J.M. (2019) Southern Great Barrier Reef Coastal Habitat Archive and Monitoring Program: Developing a Mangrove Management Plan Volume 1. Report to the National Environmental Science Program. Reef and Rainforest Research Centre Limited, Cairns, 76 pp.

Duke, N.C., MacKenzie, J., Fennessy, R., Cormier, R. and Kovacs, J.M. (2019) Southern Great Barrier Reef Coastal Habitat Archive and Monitoring Program: Mangrove Management Plan Volume 2.  Report to the National Environmental Science Program. Reef and Rainforest Research Centre Limited, Cairns, 160 pp.

Duke, N.C., Mackenzie, J., Kovacs, J.M., Hill, D., Carder, D., Eilert, F., Atkinson, I., Wyatt, M. and S. van der Valk. (2017) 2016-2017 Annual Report: Port Curtis and Port Alma Coastal Habitat Archive and Monitoring Program (PCPA CHAMP). Report produced for the Ecosystem Research and Monitoring Program Advisory Panel as Part of Gladstone Ports Corporation’s Ecosystem Research and Monitoring Program. Centre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research (TropWATER) Publication 17/56, James Cook University, Townsville, 43 pp.

Duke, N.C., Mackenzie, J., Fennessy, R., Kovacs, J.M., Lambert, H. (2017) 2017 June Milestone Report: Southern GBR Coastal Habitat Archive and Monitoring Program (SGBR CHAMP). Report produced for the National Science Environmental Programme Tropical Water Quality Hub. Centre for Tropical Water And Aquatic Ecosystem Research (TropWATER) Milestone Report, James Cook University, Townsville, 33 pp. plus appendices.

Duke N.C., Mackenzie J., Kovacs, J.M., Hill, D., Eilert, F., Atkinson, I., and van der Valk, S. 2016. 2015-2016 Annual Report: Port Curtis and Port Alma Coastal Habitat Archive and Monitoring Program (PCPA CHAMP). Report produced for the Ecosystem Research and Monitoring Program Advisory Panel as part of Gladstone Ports Corporation’s Ecosystem Research and Monitoring Program. Centre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research (TropWATER) Publication 16/xx, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia, 59 pp.

Kovacs, J.M. 2016. Baseline Report for the Mangroves of Port Morébaya River (Guinea) Site Based on a Remote Sensing Approach. Report provided to Englobe & Rio Tinto Iron Ore Atlantic Limited -part of Simandou Project port-marine investigations and studies phase 2 activities.

Environnement Illimité Inc. Simandou Project— Baseline Study of the aquatic environment for the port of Mabala-Yélitono — Progress Report − Dry season 2008. Report written by Lafrance, P., I. Saint-Onge, D. Langlois, M. Demarty, S. Lorrain, N. Gaudreau, J. Bastien, M. Hardy and J.M. Kovacs. 2008. Presented to SNC-Lavalin – Environment by Environnement Illimité inc. 143 p. + 7 appendices.