Deep Learning Based Floating Macroalgae Classification Using Gaofen-1 WFV Images

Every year, the floating macroalgae, green and golden tide, are massively detected at the Yellow Sea and East China Sea. After influx of them to the aquaculture facility or beach, it occurs enormous economic losses to remove them. Currently, remote sensing is used effectively to detect the floating macroalgae flowed into the coast. But it has difficulties to detect the floating macroalgae exactly because of the wavelength overlapped with other targets in the ocean. Also, it is difficult to distinguish between green and golden tide because they have similar spectral characteristics. Therefore, we tried to distinguish between green and golden tide applying the Deep learning method to the satellite images. To determine the network, the optimal training conditions were searched to train the AlexNet. Also, Gaofen1 WFV images were used as a dataset to train and validate the network. Under these conditions, the network was determined after training, and used to confirm the test data. As a result, the accuracy of test data is 88.89%, and it can be possible to distinguish between green and golden tide with precision of 66.67% and 100%, respectively. It is interpreted that the AlexNet can be pick up on the subtle differences between green and golden tide. Through this study, it is expected that the green and golden tide can be effectively classified from various objects in the ocean and distinguished each other.