title: Optics and remote sensing of coastal and inland waters
reg no: SF0712699s05
project type: targeted financing
subject: 1.3. Physics
1.13. Botany
1.16. Marine Sciences and Limnology
status: accepted
institution: Estonian Marine Institute
head of project: Tiit Kutser
duration: 01.01.2005 - 31.12.2010
description: Optical oceanography (including remote sensing) is a widely used and rapidly developing research topic worldwide. Main emphasis has shifted from oceans to coastal and inland waters where water properties change rapidly in space and time and where the anthropogenic impact is especially strong. Many processes in water (primary production, thermodynamics) depend on availability and spectral composition of solar radiation. On the other hand visible part of spectrum is the only wavelength range that allows us to get any information about water quality (amount of phytoplankton, suspended matter, dissolved organic matter, transparency) or benthic type (benthic algae species, sediment type) by using of remote sensing. Research topics are divided into several interconnected sub-themes like 1) developing new methods for interpretation of remote sensing data, 2) studies on possibility to map benthic habitat and bottom types in shallow waters, 3) bio-optical modelling, 4) developing methods for recognising emerging potentially harmful blooms and quantitative detection of cyanobacteria during blooms, 5) determining norm values of environmental indicators for different coastal regions, 6) studies on relationships between light and primary production, 7) remote sensing studies for improving our knowledge about the global carbon cycle and impact of climate change on ecosystem. Potential outcomes of the research have value from scientific (new methods, shift from sparse point measurements to process studies) and practical (monitoring methods) point of view.

project group
no name institution position  
1.Helgi ArstEstonian Marine Institutesenior researcher 
2.Tenno DrevsEstonian Marine InstituteResearcher 
3.Andres JaanusEstonian Marine Instituteresearcher 
4.Tiit KutserEstonian Marine Institutesenior scientist 
5.Inga LipsEstonian Marine Institutescientist 
6.Liisa MetsamaaEstonian Marine InstituteResearcher 
7.Birgot PaavelEstonian Marine Instituteresearch fellow 
8.Ele VahtmäeEstonian Marine InstituteResearcher