Restoration efforts at South Carolina’s Crab Bank show how Lens helps conservationists monitor, analyze, and share the transformation of critical habitats using accessible high-resolution imagery and easy-to-use analysis tools.
Off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina, Crab Bank has long been a important nesting site for migratory birds like brown pelicans and black skimmers. But over the years, erosion and sea-level rise had severely reduced the island’s high ground. A unique restoration opportunity for Crab Bank emerged when the Port of Charleston underwent dredging to deepen its shipping channel. Conservation groups seized the chance to repurpose the dredged material to rebuild the island before it could slip away.
In this example, we cover how to:
Using Lens to compare satellite imagery over a span from 2009 to 2017, it’s evident just how much of the island had disappeared. But by late 2021, new imagery revealed a transformed landscape: the island had been reformed, complete with elevated ground, and was once again supporting nesting bird populations.
With an abundance of publicly available imagery, we’re able to monitor this transformation in near real-time. Using the Notes tool and side-by-side comparisons, we can track the progress in an easily-shareable format and compile powerful visuals that tell the story of Crab Bank’s recovery from the start of restoration work in September 2021 through the return of wildlife just a few months later. With built-in analysis tools, Lens can add important context to demonstrate the success of this massive effort: surface water indices and long-term analysis make it easy to quantify how much land has been restored.
In addition to publicly available imagery, Lens provides easy, affordable access to commercial data. It’s simple to order clear imagery from specific points in time, so we can continue to monitor the future of the island as the site continues to evolve.
Whether you're tracking habitat restoration, managing coastal resilience projects, or reporting on ever-changing coastlines, Lens brings together the imagery, tools, and insights to support important coastal conservation work.
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