Status and Trends

---Part 3 of a 6-Part Series---

Status and Trends is the combination of imaging-based efforts and ground-level assessments aimed at identifying and mapping brown marsh so that the investigators would have a comprehensive picture of the situation with which to begin.

3.1 The View from Space
Using the latest generation of NASA's Landsat 7 satellite platforms, remote sensing specialists get the "big picture" of the dieback's scope and rate of spread.

3.2 The View from the Air
Aerial photography serves as the basis for the brown marsh mapping process and the creation of a project-wide classification scheme.

3.3 The View from the Ground
Ground surveys provide a precise assessment of plant vigor and allow for the sampling of soil characteristics such as pH, salinity, and water storage capacity.