The Coastal Ocean Imaging Spectrometer (COIS) and Coastal Ocean Remote Sensing

Abstract

Abstract : LONG-TERM GOALS. The Navy has a requirement to rapidly and covertly characterize the coastal environment in support of Joint Strike Initiatives. Over the past decade we have demonstrated that spaceborne hyperspectral remote sensing is the best approach to covertly acquire data on shallow water bathymetry, bottom types, hazards to navigation, water clarity and beach and shore trafficability to meet those requirements. The long term goal of this work is to put a hyperspectral imager capable of making the appropriate measurements in space to demonstrate this capability. OBJECTIVES. The proposed activities are designed to move us closer to flying a hyperspectral imager similar to the Coastal Ocean Imaging Spectrometer (COIS; Davis and Carder, 1997; Wilson and Davis, 1999) in space to demonstrate the spaceborne capability to covertly characterize the coastal ocean. Specific activities are to document the history and development of hyperspectral imaging for the coastal ocean, to advance methods of processing and analyzing hyperspectral data of the coastal ocean and to enhance community awareness of the need for hyperspectral imaging of the coastal ocean. This includes continued analysis of data and publication of results from the NRL Hyperspectral Remote Sensing Technology (HRST) program and the ONR Hyperspectral Coastal Ocean Dynamics Experiment (HyCODE).