Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) is an important indicator of freshwater and marine water quality in almost all shallow water aquatic environments. Throughout the world the diversity of submerged aquatic vegetation appears to be in decline, although sufficient historical data, of sufficient quantitative quality is lacking. Hyperspectral remote sensing technology, available from low altitude aircraft sensors, may provide a basis to improve upon existing photographic regional assessments and monitoring concerned with the aerial extent and coverage of SAV. In addition, modern low altitude remote sensing may also help in the development of environmental satellite requirements for future satellite payloads. This paper documents several important spectral reflectance signature features which may be useful in developing a protocol for remote sensing of SAV, and which is transferable to other shallow water aquatic habitats around the world. Specifically, we show that the shape or curvature of the spectral reflectance absorption feature centered near the chlorophyll absorption region of ˜ 675 nm is strongly influenced not only by the relative backscatter region between 530-560 nm, but by a "submerged vegetation red edge" that appears in the 695 to 700 nm region in extremely high density vegetative areas in very shallow waters (= 0.5m depth). This "aquatic biomass red edge" is also observable in deeper waters where there is a shallow subsurface algal boom as demonstrated in this paper. Use of this submerged aquatic red edge feature will become an important component of SAV remote sensing in shallow aquatic habitats, as well as in phytoplankton-related water quality remote sensing applications of surface phytoplankton blooms .
It is becoming more important to understand the remote sensing systems and associated autonomous or semi-autonomous methodologies (robotic & mechatronics) that may be utilized in freshwater and marine aquatic environments. This need comes from several issues related not only to advances in our scientific understanding and technological capabilities, but also from the desire to insure that the risk associated with UXO (unexploded ordnance), related submerged mines, as well as submerged targets (such as submerged aquatic vegetation) and debris left from previous human activities are remotely sensed and identified followed by reduced risks through detection and removal. This paper will describe (a) remote sensing systems, (b) platforms (fixed and mobile, as well as to demonstrate (c) the value of thinking in terms of scalability as well as modularity in the design and application of new systems now being constructed within our laboratory and other laboratories, as well as future systems. New remote sensing systems -moving or fixed sensing systems, as well as autonomous or semi-autonomous robotic and mechatronic systems will be essential to secure domestic preparedness for humanitarian reasons. These remote sensing systems hold tremendous value, if thoughtfully designed for other applications which include environmental monitoring in ambient environments.
Modeled hyperspectral reflectance signatures just above the water surface are obtained from an analytical-based, iterative radiative transport model applicable to shallow water types. Light transport within the water body is simulated using a fast, accurate radiative transfer model that calculates the light distribution in any layered media. A realistic water surface is synthesized using empirically-based spectral models of the ocean surface to generate water surface waves. Images are displayed as 24 bit RGB images of the water surface using selected channels from a synthetic hyperspectral image cube. The selected channels are centered at 490, 530 and 676 nm. Hyperspectral image cubes with two horizontal spatial dimensions and a third spectral dimension are shown to allow the detection of optically unresolved features in the two-dimensional RGB image.
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