Applications of Remote Sensing Technology and Information Systems to Coastal Zone Management

Abstract

Much of the responsibility for natural resource management, particularly for coastal zone management, lies with local, state, and regional agencies in the United States. Remote sensing data have the potential of making a major contribution to these management efforts. However, few of these agencies have the technical manpower and facilities necessary to make use of existing remote sensing data in formulating management plans and decisions. A data base management system capable of producing remote sensing information products useable within existing agencies must take into account the agencies’ hierarchy of information format requirements and programming sophistication. Specific components of such a data base management system should include consistent geo-referencing, a relational data base manager integrated with a “query by example” system, a natural language interface, and a “context script”.