Coastal Remote Sensing Science

ISSUE

As the importance of monitoring water quality in our coastal waters increases, so do the associated costs of sampling and analysis. Scientists have long recognized the potential of satellite and other airborne technologies to provide improved and cost effective means of monitoring coastal waters and the adjacent land. Satellite imagery can provide timely synoptic views of physical features (e.g., fronts, currents, sea ice), water quality parameters indicative of eutrophication (e.g., phytoplankton, turbidity), and watershed characteristics (e.g., land classification, wetland detection). Remote sensing has the potential to provide this kind of monitoring information over entire estuaries, bays, and coastal regions more efficiently than traditional, labor-intensive sampling techniques. But historically, advances in remote sensing technology have far outpaced the development of its applications.

----------Spring Chlorophyll Bloom in Chesapeake Bay----------
---------------Using Aircraft Remote Sensing---------------

APPROACH

The Coastal Ocean Program (COP), in cooperation with the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS), is supporting research to enhance the utility of environmental satellite and information systems, and facilitate the application of current and future remote sensing data to U.S. coastal management issues. Research is currently underway to improve existing techniques, and develop new applications of satellite and other imagery to monitoring and tracking water clarity, sediment plumes, harmful algal blooms, oil spills, navigation hazards, and ocean features important to fisheries productivity. Improved techniques for watershed and habitat monitoring, and wetland detection are also being developed.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

The COP has been actively supporting the development of applications of remote sensing technology to resource management since 1990. NOAA CoastWatch was created to make satellite imagery and other coastal data easily accessible to the research and management communities. Near real-time satellite data for the entire coastal U.S. can be obtained (for non-profit applications) from the eight regional nodes that make up the NOAA CoastWatch network. Also during that time, the NOAA Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP) was established to develop a nationally standardized database of land cover and habitat change in the coastal regions of the United States. C-CAP data is available from the NOAA Coastal Services Center.

MANAGEMENT AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS

The research and development supported under Coastal Remote Sensing Science will contribute new information, data products, and monitoring tools for use by coastal resource managers and researchers. The resulting applications and data products will be provided operationally through NESDIS Satellite Operations, NOAA CoastWatch, and the NOAA Coastal Services Center.

For more information, contact:

CSCOR/Coastal Ocean Program
phone: 301-713-3338
e-mail: coastalocean@noaa.gov

Last Updated: May 15, 2003