Monitoring of Oyster Reef Spatial Distribution Using UAV DOM Imagery Based on SAM
Abstract
Monitoring the spatial distribution of oyster reefs in an accurate, efficient, and flexible manner is crucial for assessing changes in nearshore fishery habitat environments. However, traditional optical remote sensing methods are often affected by illumination variation, tidal fluctuation, and spectral confusion in complex intertidal environments. An automated extraction framework based on the SAM (Segment Anything Model) using UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) DOM (Digital Orthophoto Map) imagery is proposed to achieve high-precision oyster reef identification and area estimation. Multi-resolution UAV imagery was processed, and key SAM parameters were systematically optimized under different illumination conditions. The results show that spatial resolution significantly influences segmentation accuracy, and appropriate resolution selection improves both stability and reliability. Based on UAV data acquired in 2025, the total oyster reef area in the study region was estimated to be 2.24 ha. After parameter optimization, segmentation accuracy improved from 93.22% to 97.61% in illuminated areas and from 93.30% to 96.67% in shaded areas. The proposed method demonstrates strong robustness under varying environmental conditions and effectively enhances boundary detection accuracy. A scalable and reliable approach is provided for coastal habitat monitoring and offers new insights into automated object extraction in complex remote sensing imagery.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Remote Sensing and LiDAR Applications
3D Surveying and Cultural Heritage
Remote-Sensing Image Classification
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Drones
- Publisher
- MDPI AG
- Volume
- 10
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 564–564
- Publication date
- 24 July 2026
- Language
- EN