Transforming Remote Sensing Data into Information and Applications (2001) / Chapter Skim
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2 Meeting the Information Needs of End Users in the Coastal Zone
2 Meeting the Information Needs of End Users in the Coastal Zone
Pages 23-33
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From page 23... ...
Examination of the case studies presented at the workshop and summarized in this chapter offered an opportunity to draw on the experience gained through applications of remote sensing in the coastal zone.1 The three cases selected for examination include the application of SeaWiFS data to monitor harmful algal blooms (HABs) that appear to be increasing in coastal waters,2 the use of airborne lidar bathymetry to monitor channel and harbor status to ensure safe navi1A later workshop to be organized by the steering committee will explore opportunities for and barriers to the use of remote sensing data in the public sector, particularly in state and local governments.
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From page 24... ...
The disadvantages of satellite remote sensing include the inability of many sensors to obtain data and information through cloud covers (although microwave sensors can image Earth through clouds) and the relatively low spatial resolution achievable with many satellite-borne Earth remote sensing instruments.
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From page 25... ...
Demonstration projects are one means of bridging the gap between the information needs of end users and unprocessed remote sensing data. A common thread in the case studies and other examples of remote sensing applications in the coastal zone was the requirement to obtain consistent data and information over regular intervals on key ecosystem variables that might serve as indices of change.
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From page 26... ...
The case studies illustrated both barriers to developing effective applications and bottlenecks that slow or complicate the process. For example, in the Army Corps of Engineers SHOALS project, which uses airborne lidar to survey navigation channels and harbors, the long lead time from concept to application was a
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From page 27... ...
In both cases, the common impediment to effectively transferring remote sensing technology to prospective information users was the gap between user requirements and the technical capabilities of the data. Remote sensing data are not a "magic bullet"; they have advantages and disadvantages that will affect their utility for practical applications.
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From page 28... ...
To yield a predictive tool, however, data obtained by remote sensing must be integrated with confirming evidence gathered from other sources, such as counts of bacteria or measures of concentrations of toxins in the case of sewage effluent, and species enumeration and identification in the case of HABs. Achieving a match between the needs of users and the potential of remote sensing data to address those needs is accomplished through research and the integration of data and information from multiple sources, including remote sensing.
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From page 29... ...
Discussions at the workshop and material in the case studies presented there stressed that a key element in this process is collaboration between remote sensing experts and end users to ensure a match between what the data can provide and what information is needed. Eventually the active role of technical experts in developing new applications will become routine as the applications become operational and the end users develop expertise sufficient to make use of the products.
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From page 30... ...
Thus, workshop participants pointed out, education is needed to increase end users' awareness of remote sensing capabilities. In addition to understanding the broad characteristics of remotely sensed data, applications users should be encouraged to discuss their
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From page 31... ...
Moreover, many who develop sensors, collect and analyze data, and develop products to address scientific or technical questions are unable to communicate 4NoAA Coastal Services Center, "Coastal Resource Management Customer Survey," Charleston, South Carolina, NOAA Coastal Services Center, 1999.
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From page 32... ...
Coastal managers, who may use ocean color information from SeaWiFS to identify areas of high chlorophyll concentrations that accompany the development of harmful algal blooms, rely on information derived from the remote sensing data and made available to them by technically cognizant intermediaries in the transfer process (see Box 2.1~. In this case, remote sensing data on the potential development of a HAB event, as indicated by high concentrations of chlorophyll in a satellite ocean color scene, must be coupled with additional data on the species of algae associated with the high concentration of chlorophyll, such as the data that can be obtained by analyzing in situ water samples.
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From page 33... ...
Remote sensing data whose availability is limited are of little practical value to an end user who requires a regular stream of data to meet his or her information needs. Such issues must be addressed if remote sensing technology transfer is to succeed.
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