Chapter 13
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SCIENTISTS AND MANAGERS FOR
APPLICATION OF REMOTE SENSING TO COASTAL WATERS
ELLSWORTH F. LEDREW
1 AND LAURIE L. RICHARDSON
2
1 Department of Geography, University of Waterloo, Waterloo Ontario, N2L 3G1,
Canada
2
Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, Florida
33199 USA
1. Introduction
The science and engineering capabilities of remote sensing have evolved
considerably over the slightly more than three decades since the 1972 launch of the
then-called ERTS, now known as Landsat. In the early years, the expertise, resources,
and rapidly expanding knowledge base necessary to ‘decipher’ remote sensing imagery
was not readily obvious to either the scientist or the manager. In our experience, in
these first years scientists and manangers assumed that ordering costly satellite data
involved simply noting which ‘product’ was desired – for example, a fully
atmospherically corrected and georegistered, processed, and classified map that
indicated the spatial distribution of a desired surface cover. Of course, this scenario is
only now becoming a reality.
This lack of connectivity between the scientist or manager and production of an
expertly produced remote sensing product was particularly evident through the first two
decades of the widespread availability of satellite data. This resulted in a backlash.
When the technology, including user friendly image processing software and
atmospheric correction packages, was eventually ready, it was then difficult to get the
prospective users of this tool to explore the true potential.
We are now at a very interesting crossroads where the capabilities of the tool are
very promising indeed. At the same time, environmental problems confronting the
users (both scientists and managers) require the type of data that can be derived from
the synoptic and repetitive coverage of the earth’s surface and atmosphere by satellite
based instrumentation. We now have numerous case studies for which remotely sensed
data are an operational component of the analysis of environmental issues at regional,
and even local, scales. Additionally, there is now a clear understanding of the
limitations and opportunities that remote sensing affords and a move away from
‘overselling’ the product. As an added bonus, the cost of remote sensing data has
moved from prohibitive to reasonable.
The growing acceptance of remote sensing as critical factor in environmental
Development in Johannesburg, 2002. That Summit highlighted the urgent need for
coordinated observations relating to the state of the Earth. At the invitation of the
United States, thirty-three nations and the European Commission joined together at
the first Earth Observation Summit on 31 July 2003 in Washington DC
(http://www.earthobservationsummit.gov/index.html) to adopt a Declaration that called
for action in strengthening global cooperation on Earth observations. The Washington
307
and Management Applications, 307-315.
© 2006 Springer. Printed in the Netherlands.
analysis is reflected in the ongoing development of the Global Earth Observations
System of Systems (GEOSS). GEOSS evolved out of the World Summit on Sustainable
L.L. Richardson and E.F. LeDrew (eds.), Remote Sensing of Aquatic Coastal Ecosystem Processes: Science
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SCIENTISTS AND MANAGERS FOR
APPLICATION OF REMOTE SENSING TO COASTAL WATERS
ELLSWORTH F. LEDREW
1 AND LAURIE L. RICHARDSON
2
1 Department of Geography, University of Waterloo, Waterloo Ontario, N2L 3G1,
Canada
2
Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, Florida
33199 USA
1. Introduction
The science and engineering capabilities of remote sensing have evolved
considerably over the slightly more than three decades since the 1972 launch of the
then-called ERTS, now known as Landsat. In the early years, the expertise, resources,
and rapidly expanding knowledge base necessary to ‘decipher’ remote sensing imagery
was not readily obvious to either the scientist or the manager. In our experience, in
these first years scientists and manangers assumed that ordering costly satellite data
involved simply noting which ‘product’ was desired – for example, a fully
atmospherically corrected and georegistered, processed, and classified map that
indicated the spatial distribution of a desired surface cover. Of course, this scenario is
only now becoming a reality.
This lack of connectivity between the scientist or manager and production of an
expertly produced remote sensing product was particularly evident through the first two
decades of the widespread availability of satellite data. This resulted in a backlash.
When the technology, including user friendly image processing software and
atmospheric correction packages, was eventually ready, it was then difficult to get the
prospective users of this tool to explore the true potential.
We are now at a very interesting crossroads where the capabilities of the tool are
very promising indeed. At the same time, environmental problems confronting the
users (both scientists and managers) require the type of data that can be derived from
the synoptic and repetitive coverage of the earth’s surface and atmosphere by satellite
based instrumentation. We now have numerous case studies for which remotely sensed
data are an operational component of the analysis of environmental issues at regional,
and even local, scales. Additionally, there is now a clear understanding of the
limitations and opportunities that remote sensing affords and a move away from
‘overselling’ the product. As an added bonus, the cost of remote sensing data has
moved from prohibitive to reasonable.
The growing acceptance of remote sensing as critical factor in environmental
Development in Johannesburg, 2002. That Summit highlighted the urgent need for
coordinated observations relating to the state of the Earth. At the invitation of the
United States, thirty-three nations and the European Commission joined together at
the first Earth Observation Summit on 31 July 2003 in Washington DC
(http://www.earthobservationsummit.gov/index.html) to adopt a Declaration that called
for action in strengthening global cooperation on Earth observations. The Washington
307
and Management Applications, 307-315.
© 2006 Springer. Printed in the Netherlands.
analysis is reflected in the ongoing development of the Global Earth Observations
System of Systems (GEOSS). GEOSS evolved out of the World Summit on Sustainable
L.L. Richardson and E.F. LeDrew (eds.), Remote Sensing of Aquatic Coastal Ecosystem Processes: Science