The CEOS Feasibility Study for an aquatic ecosystem imaging spectrometer

Abstract

The Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) response to the Group on Earth Observations System of Systems (GEOSS) Water Strategy developed under the auspices of the Water Strategy Implementation Study Team was endorsed by CEOS at the 2015 Plenary. As one of the actions, CSIRO has taken the lead on recommendation C.10: A feasibility assessment to determine the benefits and technological difficulties of designing a hyperspectral satellite mission focused on water quality measurements. More specifically this report is a highlevel feasibility assessment of the benefits and technological difficulties of designing a hyperspectral satellite mission focused on biogeochemistry of inland, estuarine, deltaic and near coastal waters as well as mapping macrophytes, macroalgae , seagrasses and coral reefs at significantly higher spatial resolution than 250 m, which is the maximum spatial resolution of dedicated current aquatic sensors such as Sentinel3 and future planned aquatic sensors such as the Coastal Ocean Color Imager (COCI – 100 m res). Further, the GEO Community of Practice Aquawatch suggested that alternative approaches, involving augmenting designs of spaceborne sensors for terrestrial and ocean colour applications to allow improved inland, near coastal waters and benthic applications, could offer an alternative pathway to addressing the same underlying science questions. Accordingly, this study also analizes the benefits and technological difficulties of this option as part of the highlevel feasibility study.