Remote sensing of aquatic coastal ecosystem processes : science and management applications

The aquatic coastal zone is one of the most challenging targets for environmental remote sensing. Properties such as bottom reflectance, spectrally diverse suspended sediments and phytoplankton communities, diverse benthic communities, and transient events that affect surface reflectance (coastal blooms, runoff, etc.) all combine to produce an optical complexity not seen in terrestrial or open ocean systems. Despite this complexity, remote sensing is proving to be an invaluable tool for "Case 2" waters. This book presents recent advances in coastal remote sensing with an emphasis on real science and management. Case studies are presented of the operational use of remote sensing in ecosystem studies, monitoring, and interfacing remote sensing/science/management. Spectral signatures of pliytoplankton and suspended sediments are presented in detail with accompanying discussion of why blue water (Case 1) algorithms cannot be applied to case 2 waters.