Zhangshi Yin, Jane Provancha, Mark Provancha and Resa Reddick

Developing KSC Manatee GIS Using ArcView Avenue


ABSTRACT
GIS is a very useful tool for spatial data display and analysis. At the John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC), ArcView has been used for monitoring trends in abundance and distribution of the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus) since 1991. Prior to the incorporation of Avenue, the existing functions in ArcView were limited and inefficient for data input, spatial and temporal displays and certain analyses. At KSC, there has been an urgency to develop two primary functions for manatee GIS: 1) to create a function to allow for the input of manatee survey data to an Oracle database and 2) to allow for better display and analysis of these data. The Avenue program language in ArcView provides a capability to accomplish these two tasks. In our manatee GIS, many processes need to be completed using different types of software. ArcView Avenue provides the strong capabilities to integrate the various software. This paper illustrates how ArcView Avenue is utilized to develop a manatee GIS. Three core programs developed in Avenue for inputting and updating data, displaying spatial and temporal data are introduced in detail. In these Avenue programs, ArcView integrates with Oracle, ArcInfo, the operating system and C programs. The three programs dramatically reduce data processing time from a few days to less than an hour. The Graphic User Interface (GUI) interface of new functions for automatic input, display and analysis streamline manatee data management at KSC. Through Avenue programming, the manatee GIS at KSC increases its input, display and analysis capability and efficiency.

Introduction

Because of habitat loss and human interference, the Florida manatee was listed as an endangered species (Flamm et al., 1995). The lagoon waters at KSC provide ideal habitat for manatees. Researchers have recognized the importance and value of the KSC area for manatee conservation. Since 1977, the manatees at KSC have been monitored almost every month via aerial survey (Provancha et al., 1995). There is a need to automate data input, display, analysis and management for the KSC manatee program.

In the last decade, manatee researchers have recognized the potential GIS application in displaying, analyzing and managing data (Reynolds and Haddad, 1990). GIS applications for manatee and habitat data management have grown rapidly (Weigle and Flamm, 1995). Many agencies rely on GIS maps to help them make decisions for habitat conservation and regulation of human activities. KSC has used ArcView for manatee data visualization since its first release. ArcView is a popular desktop GIS and has been widely used in manatee data display, management and analysis. But ArcView's existing GUI functions are limited and inefficient for the type of analyses that are routinely done by manatee scientists. First, with the KSC manatee data, most needed are data input and update, spatial display and temporal display. In ArcView, these are done manually step by step. So, there is a need to develop new functions for automatic data input, display and management. In order to obtain more functions and develop a more friendly user interface, one must program in Avenue. Avenue can be used to create many new functions not available in the current GUI. Secondly, although many GIS softwares are currently available, no single software is complete enough to manage these data. Therefore, there is a need to integrate different software. Through proper programming in Avenue for specific researcher needs, ArcView could be an effective mechanism for the successful integration with other software. This paper illustrates how to use ArcView Avenue to develop three application programs designed for efficient input, spatial and temporal display. The ArcView Avenue program integrates with Oracle, ArcInfo, the operating system and C programs to increase data management and display abilities.

Methods

Study Area

KSC (Figure 1) is located on the northern Merritt Island in east coast of central Florida. Land and lagoons of KSC comprise 57,000 ha. of barrier island ecosystems. To the east of KSC lies the Banana River which separates KSC from the outer most part of the barrier island, Cape Canaveral. To the west of KSC lies the Indian River, which separates KSC from the mainland and to the north is Mosquito Lagoon. The area surveyed by aircraft encompasses Banana Creek and the Upper Banana River extending from Port Canaveral north approximately 22.4 km.

The lagoon waters of KSC range from 0.3 to 2.4 m in depth averaging 1.2 m in depth. Salinity ranges from 21.0 to 36.0 ppt and averages 26.0 ppt. Approximately 91% of the lagoon waters are dominated by submerged aquatic vegetation including Halodule wrightii, Syringodium filiforme, Ruppia maritima, and Caulerpa prolifera. Only 7% of these waters are dredged and 2% are nonvegetated.

Manatees are found at KSC year round except for very cold periods in winter. Spring and fall are the peak times for manatees at KSC. The spring peak in recent years has reached over 350 manatees (Provancha et al., 1995). All open waters on KSC with depths in excess of one meter are potential habitat for manatees, and large aggregations of manatees are often found where extensive seagrass beds are bordered by deep basins.

Figure 1: KSC Study Area

Manatee Data

Currently, in the manatee GIS there are satellite image basemap, location points of manatee occurrence, seagrass, water resources, bathymetry, water quality and human activity (i.e. boating ) data. Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) satellite image is used as one basemap to identify manatee occurrence in relation to local facilities, land features, major roads, county lines etc. All other manatee related data could be overlaid on this same basemap.

Aerial surveys are an important method for acquiring information of manatee spatial and temporal distribution. The aerial surveys are conducted from a helicopter at an altitude of 150 m and a speed of about 70 kts. The survey uses Loran Global Positioning System (GPS) to locate the position, time, and altitude of each sighting. Other attributes such as adults, calves, total number, behavior etc. are observed and entered into a computer simultaneously. Aerial survey data are point locations and represent a discrete observation of manatees at a specific time and location. After the survey, the data are downloaded to the GIS for extracting and conversion processing. Then aerial survey point locations can be displayed on the basemap with associated attributes.

Seagrass is a basic food source for manatee. Seagrass layers of density maps were obtained through aerial photographs and transect data. Seagrass density was measured in percent coverage of surveyed area (Provancha et al., 1995).

Water resource and depth are also important parameters. Bathymetry data are used to identify potential manatee distribution. Water temperature affects manatee distribution which show a preference for water temperatures above 20 C. Water temperature and salinity were monitored at KSC and were interpolated to surface temperature.

Human activities such as boats are important factors affecting manatees. Boating information from the survey includes locations of boats and boat ramps.

GIS Hardware and Software

The KSC manatee GIS consists of ArcView, ArcInfo, Oracle and Imagine. This GIS system uses ArcView as a control panel to integrate the other computer programs.

ArcView is a user-friendly and powerful. The ArcView comprehensive GUI environment can display raster, vector, table and chart. ArcView also has a powerful object oriented program Avenue to integrate all elements and procedures. While ArcView has strong visualization and integration ability, ArcInfo provides diverse and strong analysis capability. Imagine is a major satellite image analysis software. The data preparation and analysis are done by ArcInfo and Imagine. The database is stored and managed in Oracle which has strong ability in data querying and management.

Sun Workstations, HP mainframe and PC computers are used at KSC as the manatee GIS platforms. They are connected over a local area network. The interface between Unix systems and DOS systems is by Wabi and Reflection softwares.

Manatee habitat data such as water quality, aquatic vegetation and human activity are stored in ArcView. The manatee occurrence data from aerial surveys are stored in Oracle. ArcInfo is used to analyze the relationships between the manatee and habitat parameters. Avenue in ArcView is used to integrate these programs (Figure 1).

Figure 2: KSC Manatee GIS Interface

Avenue Programs

Input and Update Program

Following a manatee aerial survey, many data are routinely input to Oracle. First, the longitude and latitude need to be extracted and projected to state plane coordinates by ArcInfo. The survey data, which are continuous text data, need to be formatted to comma delimited data by a C program. An Avenue program reads the comma delimited data into a VTab. The data in the VTab are read record by record and inserted into Oracle by the ExecuteSQL command. A customized interface in ArcView was used to integrate all these programs. The input and update program is in appendix A.

Spatial Display Program

ArcView can be used to manually overlay any data with spatial coordinates on a view with the same coordinates. In the manatee GIS, we needed to select data from Oracle and then directly display on a view. An Avenue program was written to connect Oracle and select locations and time periods. The selected data x, y coordinates are displayed on the basemap in an open view. From the spatial distribution, the attributes information could be queried. The Avenue program is listed in appendix B and the result is in Figure 2.

Figure 3: Manatee Spatial Data Display

Temporal Display Program

ArcView is well suited for spatial data display, but temporal data is not easily displayed and must be programmed by Avenue. The manatees at KSC are surveyed monthly and each survey may contain hundreds of records. One of the manatee researcher's important queries is the seasonal change in manatee within and among years. There is a need to add all records together for daily survey. If there are many surveys in a month, the average is used. Many calculations are needed before display. Two Avenue programs were developed. One is the same month of all years and another is all months of the same years. The Avenue program is in Appendix C and the results are in Figure 3 and 4.

Figure 4: Manatee Survey Data Yearly Display


Figure 5: Same Season Manatee Data Display

Results And Discussion

Through the Avenue programs, the manatee GIS becomes a powerful interface to input and update data. Manatee researchers now only need to click pull down menus and some buttons to input data from a survey data file to the Oracle database. During this input, Avenue programs automatically perform extracting, converting, projecting and updating. Spatial data and temporal data are also more easily displayed on an opened view automatically. During visualization, when one clicks the menu, it will ask a series of questions to select data. Thus, no selection can be missed and it is very straight forward and clear for users. The spatial data will be directly overlaid on a satellite image basemap. The users can find the manatee locations directly and query manatee attribute data.

For temporal display, a temporal change diagram appears in a window that displays observation times and manatee numbers over time. During this display, the program gets data from Oracle and processes some computation that will save time and avoid errors. One can add many other related data such as water quality, weather and manatee behavior to the diagram. This temporal display is extremely useful for studying manatee seasonal and historical change. The spatial and temporal display will greatly help manatee researchers to analyze and understand in manatee population changes.

Avenue programming has proved to be a valuable tool for interfacing an Oracle database. Through Avenue programs and friendly menus, users can access the complex Oracle database in a very simple way. Existing ArcView functions were found to be insufficient and inefficient for manatee study. Many new functions and integrating ability will be achieved by Avenue programming. Avenue will further increase GIS applications and help in manatee protection.

Conclusion

ArcView is a popular and useful visualization GIS, but existing GUI functions were limited and inefficient for our purposes of studying and manipulating manatee survey data. ArcView Avenue language was used successfully to program new functions and integrate different softwares. The three programs developed in this research are very efficient for manatee data input and for spatial and temporal display. From this study, Avenue is a user friendly and complete object oriented program using language which has great potential in developing diverse functions to increase efficiency and data analysis ability.

Appendixes

Appendix A

******************************************************************************************
theSQL=SQLCon.Find("Oracle")
theSQL.Login("Manatee/Dugong")
'Read file to VTab
InputFile=MsgBox.Input("Enter File Name:","Input Manatee Data","")
theFileName=InputFile.asFileName
theVTab=VTab.Make(theFilename,false,false)
'Put data in the VTab to Oracle
IDs=0
for each record in theVTab
IDs=IDs+1
Day=aVTab.FindField("Day")
Days=aVTab.ReturnValueString(Day,record)
Month=aVTab.FindField("Month")
Months=aVTab.ReturnValueString(Month,record)
Year=aVTab.FindField("Year")
Years=aVTab.ReturnValueString(Year,record)
Latitude=aVTab.FindField("Latitude")
Latitudes=aVTab.ReturnValueString(Latitude,record)
Longitude=aVTab.FindField("Longitude")
Longitudes=aVTab.ReturnValueString(Longitude,record)
Adult=aVTab.FindField("Adult")
Adults=aVTab.ReturnValueString(Adult,record)
Calf=aVTab.FindField("Calf")
Calfs=aVTab.ReturnValueString(Calf,record)
Totals=Adults.asnumber+Calfs.asnumber
InsertValue="insert into manatee"++"(ID,"
+"Day, Month, Year, Latitude, Longitude,"
+"Adult, Calf, Total)"
++"values('"+IDs.asstring+"','"+Days+"','"+Months+"','"+Years+"','"
+Latitudes+"','"+Longitudes+"','"+Adults+"','"+Calfs+"','"
+Totals.asstring+"')"
theSQL.ExecuteSQL(insertvalue)
End
******************************************************************************************

Appendix B

******************************************************************************************
theSQL=SQLCon.Find("Oracle")
TheSQL.Login("manatee/dugong")
'Select date and zone
DayLabels={"Begining","Ending"}
DayDefaults={"01","31"}
DayPeriod=MsgBox.MultiInput("Days from 01 to 31:", "Select Days",DayLabels, DayDefaults)
MonthLabels={"Begining","Ending"}
MonthDefaults={"01","12"}
MonthPeriod=MsgBox.MultiInput("Months from 01 to 12:", "Select Month", MonthLabels, MonthDefaults)
YearLabels={"Begining","Ending"}
YearDefaults={"77","97"}
YearPeriod=MsgBox.MultiInput("Years from 77 to 97:", "Select Year", YearLabels, YearDefaults)
Zones=MsgBox.Input("Zones from 1 to 9", "Select Zone", "1,2")
'Retrive data from Oracle
theVTab=VTab.MakeSQL(theSQL, "select * from manatee"++
"where zone in ("+Zones+") and day between"++DayPeriod.Get(0)++"and"++DayPeriod.Get(1)++
"and month between"++MonthPeriod.Get(0)++"and"++MonthPeriod.Get(1)++
"and year between"++YearPeriod.Get(0)++"and"++YearPeriod.Get(1)++
"and species=6 and total>0")
'Display data on a view
aXField=theVTab.FindField("X")
aYField=theVTab.FindField("Y")
aXYname=XYName.Make(theVTab, aXField, aYField)
theTheme=Theme.Make(aXYName)
theTheme.SetName("Manatee")
theView=AV.GetProject.FindDoc("MGIS")
theView.AddTheme(theTheme)
theView.GetWin.Open
theTheme.SetVisible(True)
theTheme.SetActive(True)
******************************************************************************************

Appendix C

******************************************************************************************
theSQL=SQLCon.Find("Oracle")
theSQL.Login("Manatee/Dugong")
'select manatee data
Year=MsgBox.Input("Years from 77 to 97", "Select Year", "92")
ManateeList=List.Make
For each month in 1..12
FirstDay=0
DayNumber=0
TotalNumber=0
aVTab=Vtab.MakeSQL(aSQL, "select day, totalmanatee from manatee"++
"where month="+Month.AsString++"and year="+Year++
"order by day")
'Manatee data calculation
For each record in aVTab
Day=aVTab.FindField("day")
DayN=aVTab.ReturnValueNumber(Day,Record)
If (DayN<>FirstDay) then
DayNumber=DayNumber+1
FirstDay=DayN
End
Total=aVTab.FindField("TotalManatee")
TotalN=aVTab.ReturnValueNumber(Total,Record)
TotalNumber=TotalNumber+TotalN
End
TotalNumber=TotalNumber/DayNumber
ManateeList.Add(TotalNumber)
end
'Open a view and set display
theView=View.Make
theView.SetName("Manatee Survey Yearly")
theWin=theView.GetWin
theWin.Resize(600,600)
aWin.Open
theDisplay=theView.GetDisplays
theDisplay.SetUnits(#Units_Linear_Inches)
aRect=Rect.Make(0@0,220@300)
theDisplay.ZoomToRect(aRect)
theGraphics=theView.GetGraphics
'Set x, y axis XAxis=Line.Make(10@10, 200@10)
GXAxis=GraphicShape.Make(XAxis)
theGraphics.AddBatch(GXAxis)
YAxis=Line.Make(10@10, 10@270)
GYAxis=GraphicShape.Make(YAxis)
theGraphics.AddBatch(GYAxis)
'Set tick for 12 months
TickLength=190/12
m=10
For each i in 1..12
m=m+TickLength
Tick=Line.Make(m@10,m@11)
GTick=GraphicShape.Make(Tick)
theGraphics.AddBatch(GTick)
End
'Draw month name
m=5
n=0
Month={"Jan","Fab","Mar","Apr","May","Jun","Jul","Aug","Sep",
"Oct","Nov","Dec"}
For each i in month
m=m+TickLength
MonthGText=GraphicText.Make(i,m@2)
theGraphics.AddBatch(MonthGText)
End
'Draw Y axies tick
TickNumber=260/10
m=10
For each i in 1..TickNumber
m=m+10
Tick=Line.Make(10@m,11@m)
GTick=GraphicShape.Make(Tick)
theGraphics.AddBatch(GTick)
End
'Draw Y axies label
v=0
m=9
for each i in 1..TickNumber
m=m+10
v=v+10
LabelGText=GraphicText.Make(v.asstring,0@m)
theGraphics.AddBatch(LabelGText)
End
'Draw graph m=10
n=0
For each i in ManateeList
m=m+TickLength
aPoint=Point.Make(m,i+10)
GPoint=GraphicShape.Make(aPoint)
theGraphics.AddBatch(GPoint)
End
'Draw legend
aPoint=Point.Make(140,220)
GPoint=GraphicShape.Make(aPoint)
theGraphics.AddBatch(GPoint)
LegendGText=GraphicText.Make("Manatee", 145@220)
theGraphics.AddBatch(LegendGText)
'Draw title
TitleGText=GraphicText.Make("Manatee Change in 19"+year, 35@280)
theGraphics.AddBatch(TitleGText)
******************************************************************************************

Reference

Flamm, R. O., Ward, L. I. and Weigle, B. L., 1995. "Habitat influences on the distribution
and abundance of Florida manatee in the Indian River Lagoon, Florida". Eleventh
Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Orlando, Florida,
December 14-18.

Provancha, J. A., Provancha, M. J. and Reddick, R. A., 1995. "Abundance, Distribution and
Conservation of Manatees in The Banana River, Florida, 1977-1995". Eleventh Biennial
Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Orlando, Florida, December 14-18.

Provancha, M. J., Provancha, J. A. and Lefebvre, L. W., 1995. "Change Detection Techniques
Used to Assess Manatee Foraging Effects". Eleventh Biennial Conference on the
Biology of Marine Mammals, Orlando, Florida, December 14-18.

Reynolds, J. E., and Haddad, K. D., 1990. Report of the workshop on Geographic
Information Systems as an aid to managing habitat for West Indian manatees in Florida
and Georgia. Florida Marine Research Publications 49:1-57.

Weigle, B. L. and Flamm, R. O., 1995. " analyses for estimation of manatee habitat
utilization and migratory corridors". Eleventh Biennial Conference on the Biology
of Marine Mammals, Orlando, Florida, December 14-18.

Author Information

Zhagnshi Yin
Organization: DYNAMAC
Mailing Address: Mail Code: DYN-2
Kennedy Space Center, FL 32899, USA
Telephone: 407 853 3281
Fax: 407 853 2939
Email: yinz@dugong.ksc.nasa.gov

Jane Provancha
Organization: DYNAMAC
Mailing Address: Mail Code: DYN-2
Kennedy Space Center, FL 32899, USA
Telephone: 407 853 3281 Fax: 407 853 2939
Email: provancj@bonsmtp.ksc.nasa.gov

Mark Provancha
Organization: DYNAMAC
Mailing Address: Mail Code: DYN-2
Kennedy Space Center, FL 32899, USA
Telephone: 407 853 3281 Fax: 407 853 2939
Email: provancm@orcinus.ksc.nasa.gov

Resa Reddick
Organization: DYNAMAC
Mailing Address: Mail Code: DYN-2
Kennedy Space Center, FL 32899, USA
Telephone: 407 853 3281 Fax: 407 853 2939
Email: reddickr@bonsmtp.ksc.nasa.gov