Source: ESA, GFZ, DLR
Coastal and inland water bodies are vital for recreation, food supply, commerce and human health, and they also support habitats for a large floral and faunal diversity. For decades, coastal and inland aquatic ecosystems have experienced pressure from increasing social and economic activities as well as climate change. As sinks for pollutants, coastal and freshwater ecosystems are among the most sensitive indicators of environmental impacts related to human activities. EnMAP satellite will enable consistent quantitative monitoring of the water-related environmental parameters. The combination of hyperspectral data with ecological or hydrological models, geographic information systems and in situ measurements allows the development of advanced integrated management plans for coastal zones and catchments characterized by inland water bodies, wetlands, or reservoirs.
Accordingly, the following main scientific tasks are related to coastal and inland water body applications:
- Improvement of the identification of different substances by their spectral characteristics, such as improved chlorophyll quantification, the differentiation between ecological important phytoplankton groups, and dissolved organic compounds;
- Enhancement of the identification of different fractions of suspended mineral and organic particles;
- Monitoring of the spatio-temporal dynamics and structure of optical shallow sea/lake bottom substrate (vegetation and sediment);
- Monitoring of the distribution patterns of invasive submersed and emergent algae;
- Monitoring of the variety of algal species/genera in space and time as a bio-indicator of coastal and freshwater ecology;
- Monitoring and taxonomic identification of (potentially toxic) algal and phytoplankton blooms in eutrophicated coastal and inland waters;
- Estimation of processes, such as primary production in inland and coastal waters and suspended matter transport and its impact on coastal ecosystems;
- Monitoring of the distribution of sediments in tidal flats, wetlands, coral reefs and mangrove forests; and
- Monitoring of coastal erosion and changes in coastal morphology