Integrated LiDAR and Hyperspectral

Integrating LiDAR data and hyperspectral imagery is an area of active research in remote sensing, inclusive of application for coastal and coral reef mapping. These two technologies can be combined in a number of different ways, and at a number of stages of processing to produce benthic classification maps. This chapter introduces the concept of data fusion, presents a data fusion model, and describes the different ways in which LiDAR and hyperspectral data can be integrated for benthic mapping. Examples are presented to first demonstrate data fusion during the preprocessing stage prior to classification, followed by data fusion performed during processing and classification. The chapter concludes with examples of how classification maps derived from LiDAR data and hyperspectral imagery individually can be combined in a postprocessing high-level fusion approach to produce an integrated benthic classification map.