Chapter 9
OBSERVING COASTAL WATERS WITH SPACEBORNE SENSORS
A Practical Guide for Management and Science
BRIAN G. WHITEHOUSE
1 AND DANIEL HUTT
2
1
OEA Technologies Inc, 14 - 4 Westwood Blvd, Suite 393, Upper Tantallon, NS, B3Z
1H3 Canada
2
Defence R&D Canada – Atlantic, P.O. Box 1012, Dartmouth, NS, B2Y 3Z7 Canada
1. Introduction
Aquatic remote sensing technologies are used routinely to facilitate environmental
research and monitoring, emergency response, national security, military operations,
search and rescue, and meteorological forecasting. Emerging applications include ocean
forecasting and climate modeling, among others. These technologies are also used to
support certain industrial activities, such as oil and gas exploration.
This chapter addresses, from a management perspective, sensors mounted on
Earth-observation satellites, focusing on practical aspects of their applications in coastal
waters. Successful application requires appreciation of possible differences between a
satellite sensor’s ability to detect a coastal feature and its ability to fulfill a management
or science requirement. Such differences can result in a satellite sensor, which is known
to detect the feature of interest, being deemed impractical or of minimal incremental
benefit from a management perspective. We address this subject through presentation
of certain operational issues, identification of relevant Earth-observation satellite
systems and their aquatic applications, and subsequent discussion of practical aspects of
their performance in aquatic environments.
2. Platforms vis-à-vis Sensors
If one is responsible for managing many aspects of the aquatic environment, it is
likely that use of an in situ aquatic sensor, whether it be free-floating, fixed, surficial, or
submerged, is part of the management program. Such sensors are discussed throughout
this book as they are the most widely used types of environmental sensors. All are
capable of providing accurate point source data. The most commonly used are those
that measure water temperature, salinity, optical properties, sea state, and currents. And
as the atmosphere and oceans are linked like Siamese twins, it is also common to
find meteorological sensors on surficial in situ platforms, especially wind speed
and direction sensors. These environmental features can also be measured with
environmental sensors mounted on aircraft and satellites. Indeed, there are five primary
types of platforms for aquatic environmental sensors: satellites, aircraft, vessels, in situ
platforms, and shore-based installations (Whitehouse and Hutt, 2004).
Once an aquatic feature of interest has been identified, and therefore the required
sensor, managers and researchers soon discover that the choice of sensor platform
influences their ability to monitor the feature. In practice, the question of which
platform to employ for a given aquatic application comes down to a matter of available
resources. This reality has resulted in the field of marine monitoring and surveillance
being platform limited, and this will continue to be the case for the foreseeable future.
201
and Management Applications, 201-215.
© 2006 Springer. Printed in the Netherlands.
L.L. Richardson and E.F. LeDrew (eds.), Remote Sensing of Aquatic Coastal Ecosystem Processes: Science
OBSERVING COASTAL WATERS WITH SPACEBORNE SENSORS
A Practical Guide for Management and Science
BRIAN G. WHITEHOUSE
1 AND DANIEL HUTT
2
1
OEA Technologies Inc, 14 - 4 Westwood Blvd, Suite 393, Upper Tantallon, NS, B3Z
1H3 Canada
2
Defence R&D Canada – Atlantic, P.O. Box 1012, Dartmouth, NS, B2Y 3Z7 Canada
1. Introduction
Aquatic remote sensing technologies are used routinely to facilitate environmental
research and monitoring, emergency response, national security, military operations,
search and rescue, and meteorological forecasting. Emerging applications include ocean
forecasting and climate modeling, among others. These technologies are also used to
support certain industrial activities, such as oil and gas exploration.
This chapter addresses, from a management perspective, sensors mounted on
Earth-observation satellites, focusing on practical aspects of their applications in coastal
waters. Successful application requires appreciation of possible differences between a
satellite sensor’s ability to detect a coastal feature and its ability to fulfill a management
or science requirement. Such differences can result in a satellite sensor, which is known
to detect the feature of interest, being deemed impractical or of minimal incremental
benefit from a management perspective. We address this subject through presentation
of certain operational issues, identification of relevant Earth-observation satellite
systems and their aquatic applications, and subsequent discussion of practical aspects of
their performance in aquatic environments.
2. Platforms vis-à-vis Sensors
If one is responsible for managing many aspects of the aquatic environment, it is
likely that use of an in situ aquatic sensor, whether it be free-floating, fixed, surficial, or
submerged, is part of the management program. Such sensors are discussed throughout
this book as they are the most widely used types of environmental sensors. All are
capable of providing accurate point source data. The most commonly used are those
that measure water temperature, salinity, optical properties, sea state, and currents. And
as the atmosphere and oceans are linked like Siamese twins, it is also common to
find meteorological sensors on surficial in situ platforms, especially wind speed
and direction sensors. These environmental features can also be measured with
environmental sensors mounted on aircraft and satellites. Indeed, there are five primary
types of platforms for aquatic environmental sensors: satellites, aircraft, vessels, in situ
platforms, and shore-based installations (Whitehouse and Hutt, 2004).
Once an aquatic feature of interest has been identified, and therefore the required
sensor, managers and researchers soon discover that the choice of sensor platform
influences their ability to monitor the feature. In practice, the question of which
platform to employ for a given aquatic application comes down to a matter of available
resources. This reality has resulted in the field of marine monitoring and surveillance
being platform limited, and this will continue to be the case for the foreseeable future.
201
and Management Applications, 201-215.
© 2006 Springer. Printed in the Netherlands.
L.L. Richardson and E.F. LeDrew (eds.), Remote Sensing of Aquatic Coastal Ecosystem Processes: Science