The last phase of geographic field data collection involved the use of Trimble Geoexplorer 3 Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers to record the position of indigenously defined habitat types. The Roviana people define at least 16 different habitat types. These include Indigenous Name   Petupetuana Mangrove Kulikuliana Grassbeds Sagauru Shallow Inner lagoon Reef Sagauru Lamana Inner lagoon mid-depth reefs Vuragarena Outer barrier reef drop edge-barrier reef Sagauru ruata Outer lagoon reef-water reefs Teqoteqo Inner lagoon reefs drops Nunusa Lagoon Islands Kopi Lagoon Pool Bolembole Sand Banks Avasa Barrier Island Sandy Lagoon Sada ovuku River mouths Karovoana Reef channel Goreana Small outer lagoon channels Susuka Small mangrove passage Holapana Lagoon Passages        With these habitat types we created a data dictionary and then loaded it into the GPS receiver to ease the datacollection efforts. The major focus of the research has been the sagauru (shallow inner lagoon reefs) habitat types. These areas are one of the most important sites for the collection of food and other resources so it was a natural starting point in our data collection strategy. In order to map these areas, a local informant was hired to guide the GIS technician in a boat around the perimeter of the habitat area. Each reef area was collected as a series of precise geographical points that are converted into polygons or geographic areas. At the end of each day these data were downloaded from the receiver into a laptop computer and then superimposed as a layer over the georectified aerial photograph images. The goal of this data collection was to compile a highly accurate indigenous map of the resource areas. Each of these habitat types can then be overlaid as layers in the GIS so that analyses can be performed.        Dr. Aswani's Home Page  Back to Project Page UCSB Athropology Web Site