Dynamics of coastal land-based aquaculture pond in China and Southeast Asia from 1990 to 2020

The extensive expansion of coastal land-based aquaculture ponds (CLAP) has resulted in substantial wetland loss. To effectively monitor the dynamics of CLAP on a large scale, critical spatial information derived from continuous datasets is essential. Here, we generate the inaugural map depicting the changes in aquaculture pond coverage across the coastal regions both of China and Southeast Asia from 1990 to 2020 by utilizing the long time-series Landsat archive with an object-oriented hierarchical classification method. We extracted coastal water bodies using the Otsu algorithm and established a water inundation frequency index to eliminate interference from temporary water facilities. This process allowed us to identify potential distribution areas of aquaculture ponds. To precisely map the spatial distribution of CLAP within these identified areas, we employed an object-oriented K-nearest neighbor approach with spectral, geometric, and water index features as classification features. The cumulative coverage of CLAP in China and Southeast Asia reached 23,121 km2 by 2020, marking a net increase of 12,700 km2 since 1990. Notably, China, Indonesia, and Vietnam emerged as the primary contributors to these changes within our study area. Regions exhibiting dense aquaculture activities are predominantly concentrated in the northern region above 10 degrees latitude and along the eastern coastlines of various countries. This aquaculture pond map reserves fine spatial detail by effectively distinguishing drainage channels, rice seedling fields, and embankments surrounding aquaculture ponds. It serves as a valuable resource for guiding coastal resource management and environmental protection initiatives.