Advancing Earth Observations of Coastal and Inland Aquatic Ecosystems and Wetlands (ISSI Scientific Report Series)

This open access book presents a timely and comprehensive exploration of how scientific understanding and management of inland and near-shore aquatic ecosystems depend on sustainable satellite observation capabilities. Current remote sensing missions are not fully optimized to monitor optically complex waters, shallow environments, or dynamic wetland systems. In particular, existing global missions fall short in meeting the spatial, spectral, and radiometric requirements needed to detect subtle changes in water quality, carbon fluxes, and biodiversity.

The book addresses both scientific challenges and societal needs that call for improved monitoring of aquatic ecosystems. It offers a forward-looking vision for future satellite missions that can close existing gaps and contribute to global sustainability efforts.

Intended for researchers, graduate students, and decision-makers in Earth system science, environmental policy, and remote sensing, this book supports the scientific definition of next-generation Earth observation systems and encourages interdisciplinary dialogue on the sustainable use and protection of aquatic environments.

Why do we need specific Earth Observation capabilities for aquatic science and the management of inland and coastal aquatic ecosystems including wetlands.- Sensors and Synergy Innovative and complementary satellite missions for aquatic science and applications.- Remote Sensing of the Polarization Properties of the Water Atmosphere System.- Atmospheric correction for coastal and inland waters.- Calibration and validation strategy for Level 1 L1and Level 2 L2 satellite products.- Pelagic primary producers in aquatic ecosystems: current status of Earth observation and strategy to move forward.- Floating matter and marine plastic litter.- Littoral Shallow Ecosystems.- Current practice and recommendations for the calibration and validation of remotely sensed biophysical variables in aquatic ecosystems.- Characterisation mapping and monitoring of inland coastal and marine aquatic ecosystems from Earth observations.- Carbon Cycling at the Interface of Aquatic and Terrestrial Ecosystems.

Malik Chami is a Professor of Physics at Sorbonne Université, France. His research spans radiative transfer modeling, satellite remote sensing of ocean color, radiometry, sensor characterization, and atmospheric correction over oceans. He specializes in the optical and directional properties of marine particles and the development of optical instrumentation. He contributed to the creation of OSOAA, an open-source radiative transfer model for the coupled atmosphere ocean system. His work includes developing inversion algorithms to retrieve bio-optical properties of hydrosols, particularly in coastal waters. He collaborates with interdisciplinary teams in applied mathematics, AI, biology, and sedimentology. As a recognized expert, he serves on mission advisory groups for CNES and ESA, helping define scientific requirements for future satellite missions focused on aquatic ecosystems.

Michael Rast studied geology and remote sensing at Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich. He joined ESA, where he helped define mission and science requirements for Earth observation satellites. After a research year at NASA s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, he earned a doctorate in space-based imaging spectroscopy. He later served as Senior Programme Officer at the GEO Secretariat in Geneva and led ESA s Science Strategy Office in Frascati, Italy. In 2017, he became Senior Advisor to the Director of Earth Observation Programmes. Since retiring from ESA in 2022, he has been Director of Earth Sciences at the International Space Science Institute (ISSI) in Bern, Switzerland, and Professor of Terrestrial Remote Sensing at Ludwig-Maximilians University.

Daniel Odermatt is an expert in remote sensing applications for lakes and head of the surface waters remote sensing research group at the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Eawag. He uses optical and thermal in situ measurements to improve the determination of geophysical variables using Earth observation satellite data, and hydrodynamic models to enhance the interpretation of the variables obtained in this way. His focus ranges from specific bio-optical processes in lakes in the Alpine region to the analysis of global datasets regarding indicators of water quality, aquatic biodiversity or ecosystem tipping points. He serves as a national Delegate to ESA s Earth Observation advisory group.

Alexander Damm leads the Remote Sensing of Water Systems (RSWS) group, a joint professorship between the University of Zurich (UZH) and the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag). He holds MSc and PhD degrees in geography with specialization in remote sensing from Humboldt University Berlin. Since joining UZH in 2008, he has focused on imaging spectroscopy and its applications across Earth systems. His research aims to advance Earth observation for studying water systems, emphasizing remote sensing fundamentals and the impact of environmental change on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. He contributes to interdisciplinary projects such as FLEX, GALENE (ESA), DeltAs, Spatial-Sustainable-Finance (SNSF), UrbaNature (MeteoSwiss), and NextGenCarbon (EU).

Nicole Pinnel is a remote sensing scientist at the Earth Observation Center of the German Aerospace Center (DLR). She holds a PhD in Natural Sciences from the Technical University of Munich and has over 20 years of experience in aquatic remote sensing. Her work focuses on hyperspectral and multispectral applications for water quality and ecosystem monitoring, with particular emphasis on submerged aquatic veg