Predicting natural disasters in the coastal zone based on links between land and marine ecosystems.

The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was used for the analysis of ecological characteristics of the northwestern Black Sea region, which includes significant coastal territories and sea water areas along the northwest coast of the Black Sea. In the present study the following data were used: (1) NDVI and Vegetation Health Index (VHI) spatial distribution data for the period 1997-2008 for southern areas of the Ukraine around the Black Sea (prepared in the USA from NOAA's GVI2 dataset), (2) 1998-2008 NDVI data derived from MODIS (Aqua and Terra) visible channels and SeaWiFS scanners. It is shown that in the integrated land-marine ecosystem in the coastal zone, NDVI can be used as an indicator for hazards such as hypoxia, hydrosulphuric infection and eutrophication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]