İklim ve İnsan Kaynaklı Baskılar Altında Mercan Resifi Ekosistemlerinin Çevresel Etkilerinin Uzaktan Algılama, CBS ve Google Earth Engine Kullanılarak Değerlendirilmesi: Mısır’ın Süveyş Körfezi’nin Kuzeybatısında Bir Uygulama

Abstract

Mercan resifi ekosistemleri, sıklıkla “denizlerin yağmur ormanları” olarak tanımlanır ve deniz biyoçeşitliliğini koruma ile kıyıların korunmasında hayati bir rol oynar; ancak iklim değişikliği ve insan kaynaklı baskılar nedeniyle giderek artan tehdit altındadır. Bu çalışma, Mısır’ın Süveyş Körfezi’nin batı kıyısında yer alan mercan resiflerinin bozulmasını değerlendirmek amacıyla, çevresel jeomorfoloji çerçevesinde Uzaktan Algılama (RS) ve Coğrafi Bilgi Sistemleri (CBS) yaklaşımlarını entegre etmektedir. Sentinel-2 ve MODIS yüksek çözünürlüklü uydu verileri, saha gözlemleriyle birleştirilerek, deniz yüzeyi sıcaklıklarındaki artış, okyanus asitlenmesi, kıyı kirliliği, tortulanma ve plansız kıyı gelişimi gibi başlıca çevresel baskılar analiz edilmiştir. RS teknikleri, mercan beyazlamasının, su bulanıklığındaki değişimlerin ve bentik habitat bozulmalarının tespiti için kullanılmış, CBS ise mekânsal verilerin sentezlenerek risk ve hassasiyet haritalarının oluşturulmasını sağlamıştır. Sonuçlar, 1986’dan 2019’a kadar geçen 33 yıllık dönemde mercan resifi örtüsünde tutarlı bir azalma olduğunu göstermiştir. Toplam resif alanı 57.15 km²’den 55.99 km²’ye düşerek 1.15 km²’lik net bir kayba ve yılda ortalama yaklaşık 0.03 km²’lik azalmaya işaret etmektedir. Mekânsal analiz, bölgesel farklılıkların belirgin olduğunu ortaya koymuştur: en büyük kayıplar, deniz taşımacılığı faaliyetleri, liman genişlemesi ve kıyı kentleşmesi nedeniyle Bölge 2 (Ras El Adabia–Ain Sokhna Limanı; –4.89 km²) ve Bölge 4 (Ras Abu Darge–Ras El Zaafrana; –4.37 km²)’de görülmüştür. Buna karşılık, Bölge 7 (Ras Bakar–Al-Ghardaqa)’da su kalitesinin iyileşmesi ve sınırlı insan etkisiyle bağlantılı olarak +7.4 km²’lik önemli bir artış gözlenmiştir. Bu bulgular, yerel insan faaliyetlerinin ve doğal hidrolojik süreçlerin birlikte mercan resifi dinamiklerini şekillendirdiğini göstermektedir. Çalışma, jeo-uzamsal teknolojilerin—RS, CBS ve Dünya gözlem araçlarının—erken uyarı sistemlerine, koruma planlamasına ve uyarlanabilir yönetim stratejilerine entegre edilmesinin, hızla değişen küresel çevresel koşullar altında mercan resifi ekosistemlerinin uzun vadeli sürdürülebilirliğini artırmadaki önemini vurgulamaktadır.

Keywords

• Mercan Resifleri
• Uzaktan Algılama
• İklim Değişikliği
• Sürdürülebilir Yönetim

Supporting Institution

HAYIR

Project Number

NOT applicable

Ethical Statement

Yazarlar, bu çalışma ile ilgili herhangi bir etik sorun bulunmadığını beyan ederler

Thanks

HAYIR

Assessing Environmental Impacts on Coral Reef Ecosystems under Climate and Anthropogenic Pressures based on GEE workflow in the Northwestern Gulf of Suez, Egypt

Abstract

Coral reef ecosystems, often described as the “rainforests of the sea,” play a vital role in maintaining marine biodiversity and coastal protection but are increasingly threatened by climate change and human-induced pressures. This study integrates Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) within the Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud-computing framework to assess the degradation of coral reefs along the western coast of the Gulf of Suez, Egypt. A robust, reproducible methodology was developed to analyze a 33-year time series (1986–2019) of Landsat and Sentinel-2 imagery. Key environmental stressors, including sea surface temperature (SST), chlorophyll-a concentration, and water turbidity, were quantified using validated algorithms. Coral reef extent was mapped using a supervised Random Forest classification, achieving an overall accuracy of 91.2%. Results revealed a net loss of 1.15 km² of coral reef cover over the study period, decreasing from 57.15 km² in 1986 to 55.99 km² in 2019, with an estimated uncertainty of ±2.8 km². Spatial analysis showed distinct regional variations: the most pronounced losses occurred in Zone 2 (Ras El Adabia–Ain Sokhna Port; –4.89 km²) and Zone 4 (Ras Abu Darge–Ras El Zaafrana; –4.37 km²), mainly due to maritime operations, port expansion, and coastal urbanization. Conversely, Zone 7 (Ras Bakar–Al-Ghardaqa) exhibited a notable increase of +7.4 km², likely linked to favorable hydrodynamic conditions and limited anthropogenic disturbance. These findings demonstrate how localized human activities and natural processes jointly shape reef dynamics. The study underscores the critical importance of integrating validated geospatial technologies into early warning systems, conservation planning, and adaptive management strategies to enhance the long-term sustainability of coral reef ecosystems amid accelerating global environmental change.

Keywords

• Coral Reefs
• Remote Sensing
• Climate Change
• Sustainable Management

Supporting Institution

NO

Project Number

NOT applicable

Ethical Statement

The authors declare that there are no ethical issues related to this study.

Thanks

NO

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