Realizing the Potential of Hyperspectral Remote Sensing in Coastal and Inland Waters

Population growth and climate change is creating the need for new surveying technologies to provide science-based information in support of environmental policy and management strategies. Imaging spectroscopy or hyperspectral remote sensing across the full spectrum of visible and near infrared light will be an important tool to derive products related to aquatic biodiversity, habitats, water quality, and natural and anthropogenic hazards, well beyond those that can be produced with multi-channel imagery. This introduction to hyperspectral remote sensing provides a brief overview of the field in terms of history, new methods and select applications (e.g., biodiversity and net primary productivity) and provides an outlook for the future.