Project "CoastalCarbonMapper"

On the possibility of mapping carbon fractions in coastal waters using Sentinel-2 MSI and Sentinel-3 OLCI imagery

Acronym: CoastalCarbonMapper

ESA contract: 4000144012/24/I-DT-bgh

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Duration: 01.05.2024 – 31.10.2025

Project leader: Kaire Toming

Social media: #ESA_CoastalCarbonMapper

A thorough understanding of the global carbon pools and cycle is essential to understanding and predicting the effects of climate change. Coastal waters, which make up 7-11% of the ocean's total area, play a significant role in global carbon cycles and thereby contribute to climate regulation and are considered critical to achieving emission reductions necessary for fulfilling a variety of Sustainable Development Goals. Carbon monitoring in coastal waters involves unique challenges due to their complex ecosystem structure, seasonality, and sensitivity to climate impacts.

Satellite remote sensing data could provide high spatial and temporal resolution for systematic carbon monitoring at the local, regional, and global levels. The highly dynamic nature of coastal areas, as well as their optical complexity and issues associated with aquatic remote sensing near land, places greater demands on remote sensing and its sensors as well. Currently, there are no satellite sensors which specifically address challenges related to coastal water remote sensing. Consequently, suboptimal sensors are used for developing and delivering water remote sensing products. Sentinel-2 MSI (S2) offer high spatial resolution for carbon monitoring and studies in optically complex coastal areas. Sentinel-3 OLCI (S3) offers better spectral band configuration, temporal resolution, and radiometric sensitivity than S2, but may not be sufficient due to high spatial heterogeneity of near-coastal zones.

We aim to develop and validate algorithms for innovative remote sensing products of carbon fractions in coastal waters by using in situ data and S2 and S3 imagery. The project allows to make a step forward in the domain of coastal waters remote sensing and advancing earth observation science in general, as well as maximizing the impact of European Earth Observation data with a focus on ESA Sentinel missions.

The following research questions will be addressed:

· What are the optical proxies for different carbon fractions in coastal waters?

· Which remote sensing algorithms are the most suitable for mapping different carbon fractions in coastal waters by using S2 and S3 imagery?

The carbon fraction products proposed in this project are innovative for coastal seas, and if successful, will allow to make significant progress in different fields from research to monitoring and policy making.