Preface
ix
Studying and understanding the natural history of the African Seas requires integrated observation systems, which ought to combine up-to-date remote sensing
techniques with thorough in situ observations. As the latter are frequently lacking,
due to the continent’s sheer size and continuing socio-economic plight, quite often
satellite remote sensing from Earth’s orbit is the only choice available to environmental scientists. The peer-reviewed papers collected in this volume provide a summary
of the most recent results achieved in this field, and of the new scientific ground
broken by some of the observations, offering an unprecedented insight into some of
the dynamical and bio-geo-chemical complexity of the African Seas.
This book—which targets researchers working in the Earth and Marine Sciences,
but also teachers, as well as students, in the same fields, particularly in Africa—
includes a brief overview of the African marginal seas, followed by general papers
on Visible, Infrared and Microwave (passive and active) remote sensing applications,
focussing on African waters. In depth assessments of the main African marginal
basins, in both the Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean, their prevailing currents and
resulting key environmental traits, are grouped in two dedicated sections. Several
examples are provided of multi-sensor techniques, which exploit the synergies of
complementary sensors and enhance the value of their combined views. In the section on marginal and enclosed water bodies, the Red Sea is discussed, while for the
Mediterranean Sea (already covered, at the basin scale, by several papers appearing
in a previous volume
2 of this series) only near-coastal and lagoon waters have been
considered. A final review paper is dedicated to the African Great Lakes, in order
to complete the spectrum of presentations on the most relevant water bodies of the
continent. The breath of the environmental themes covered, and of the diverse techniques dealt with, required the collaboration of a truly international (global in fact)
group of scientists. Their fundamental contributions, their patience and endurance
in resisting the editors’ constant harassment is acknowledged by the inclusion of
all authors’ and reviewers’ names and affiliations in the list of contributors. Sincere
thanks are due to all of them.
July 2013
Vittorio Barale and Martin Gade
2 Barale V, Gade M (2008) Remote sensing of the European seas. Springer Science+Business Media
BV, p 514.
ix
Studying and understanding the natural history of the African Seas requires integrated observation systems, which ought to combine up-to-date remote sensing
techniques with thorough in situ observations. As the latter are frequently lacking,
due to the continent’s sheer size and continuing socio-economic plight, quite often
satellite remote sensing from Earth’s orbit is the only choice available to environmental scientists. The peer-reviewed papers collected in this volume provide a summary
of the most recent results achieved in this field, and of the new scientific ground
broken by some of the observations, offering an unprecedented insight into some of
the dynamical and bio-geo-chemical complexity of the African Seas.
This book—which targets researchers working in the Earth and Marine Sciences,
but also teachers, as well as students, in the same fields, particularly in Africa—
includes a brief overview of the African marginal seas, followed by general papers
on Visible, Infrared and Microwave (passive and active) remote sensing applications,
focussing on African waters. In depth assessments of the main African marginal
basins, in both the Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean, their prevailing currents and
resulting key environmental traits, are grouped in two dedicated sections. Several
examples are provided of multi-sensor techniques, which exploit the synergies of
complementary sensors and enhance the value of their combined views. In the section on marginal and enclosed water bodies, the Red Sea is discussed, while for the
Mediterranean Sea (already covered, at the basin scale, by several papers appearing
in a previous volume
2 of this series) only near-coastal and lagoon waters have been
considered. A final review paper is dedicated to the African Great Lakes, in order
to complete the spectrum of presentations on the most relevant water bodies of the
continent. The breath of the environmental themes covered, and of the diverse techniques dealt with, required the collaboration of a truly international (global in fact)
group of scientists. Their fundamental contributions, their patience and endurance
in resisting the editors’ constant harassment is acknowledged by the inclusion of
all authors’ and reviewers’ names and affiliations in the list of contributors. Sincere
thanks are due to all of them.
July 2013
Vittorio Barale and Martin Gade
2 Barale V, Gade M (2008) Remote sensing of the European seas. Springer Science+Business Media
BV, p 514.