Satellite Monitoring of Shoreline Nature   

We are developing predictive models of shoreline evolution, with the goal of improving coastal resilience to sea level rise.
from left to right, two satellite images of a coastline; three example of images of extracting featuers in the satellite images; and a photo of a coastline with boxes and arrows showing shoreline evolution.
We will  extract  salient  features from satellite imagery to build models  capable of predicting shoreline  evolution and the effects of coastal defenses.   

The resilience of coastal communities depends on the ability to predict the potential erosion and accretion of shorelines in a climate changing ocean. The Satellite Monitoring of Shoreline Nature (SaMSoN) program will use satellite imagery and other data to monitor the evolution of shorelines, including beaches and marshes. These data will help us develop predictive models for answering key questions: What will shorelines look like in 50 years with sea level rise and storms? How do built coastal defenses impact nearby and neighboring shorelines? Answering these questions will provide crucial information for decision making for coastal resilience and potential coastal retreat. This work is a collaboration with Northeastern University.