A polarimetric radar view at exposed intertidal flats

We analyzed a large amount of high-resolution Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data of exposed intertidal flats on the German North Sea coast with respect to the imaging of sediments, macrophytes, and mussels. TerraSAR-X and Radarsat-2 images of four test areas acquired from 2008 to 2013 form the basis for the present investigation and are used to demonstrate that pairs of SAR images, if combined through basic algebraic operations, can already provide indicators for bivalve (oyster and mussel) beds. Our results show evidence that single-acquisition, dual-polarization SAR imagery can be used in this respect. The polarization coefficient (i.e., the normalized difference polarization ratio) can be used to infer indicators for oyster and blue-mussel beds.