Summary

Course description              

Ocean colour analysis is a proven tool for determining the health of ocean using oceanic biological activity through optical means. Phytoplankton pigment, chlorophyll, are indicators of equilibrium of CO₂ concentration between atmosphere and ocean. The oceanic colour changes due to chlorophyll a provides the level of primary productivity whereas the colour change due to CDOM can be attributed to the level of pollution and higher particulate matter. The ability of optical sensors to map the spatial and temporal patterns of ocean colour over regional and global scales has provided important insights into the fundamental bio-optical properties and bio-physical processes occurring in the aquatic media. Chlorophyll, SST and PAR can be operationally scaled up to estimate primary production and estimate the fish stocks. This training focuses on the basics of marine optics, ocean colour remote sensing, and its applications such as mapping primary productivity, phytoplankton classes and algal blooms. 

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course the participants should be able to:

• Explain what Ocean Colour Remote Sensing and Marine optics are, and describe Ocean colour- sensor characteristics, data, and uncertainties.
• Describe Ocean colour Algorithms, Chlorophyll, shallow water remote sensing, algal blooms
• Perform atmospheric correction of ocean colour observations.
• Describe primary production mechanisms and P-I experiments
• Perform phytoplankton classification using ocean colour data.
• Use the SeaDAS tool for processing ocean colour data (including the software and Plug-in tools for ocean data processing).
• Use different ocean colour algorithms.
• Generate and validate ocean colour remote sensing products.
• Understand ocean colour applications like PP, HABs etc.

Course content (Topics and activities to be covered)

• L1: Fundamentals of marine optics and ocean colour remote sensing (Aneesh A. Lotliker)
• L2: Introduction to ocean colour satellite data processing with SeaDAS (Alakes Samanta)
• L3: Marine environmental variables vis-a-vis phytoplankton (Sanjiba Kumar Baliarsingh)
• L4: Ocean Colour Algorithms - Standard and Value-added products (Alakes Samanta)
• P1: Introduction to SeaDAS: processing capability and available tools; Processing, Projection and Binning of satellite ocean colour data using GUI of SeaDAS (Alakes Samanta / Sanjiba Kumar Baliarsingh)
• L5: Remote sensing of phytoplankton functional types (Sanjiba Kumar Baliarsingh)
• L6: Remote sensing in operational services (TBD)
• P2: Automatic processing of ocean colour satellite data using SeaDAS (Alakes Samanta / Sanjiba Kumar Baliarsingh)
• L7: Laboratory Analysis of optically active substances (TBD)
• P3: Generation of value-added products using SeaDAS (Alakes Samanta / Sanjiba Kumar Baliarsingh)
• P4: Mini Project

Target audience

Target audiences include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Ocean and coastal data managers
• Staff and researchers working on ocean colour applications.
• Scientific/Technical staff involved in policy/decision making.
• University post-graduates

NOTE: priority will be given to participants originating from the Indian Ocean Rim countries. UNESCO is committed to promote gender equality: applications from women are strongly encouraged.

Language of instruction:

English

Instructors:

• Dr. Aneesh Lotliker, Scientist INCOIS, MoES
• Mr. Alakes Samanta, Scientist INCOIS, MoES
• Dr. Sanjiba Kumar Baliarsingh, Scientist INCOIS, MoES
• Others to be announced