Coastal Services Center

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Potential Applications

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Coastal water quality is affected by a number of environmental stressors. Some of these stressors include

• Changes in land use (deforestation, filling in of wetlands)
• Nonpoint source runoff of contaminants from farming, industrial, and mining practices
• Point source pollutants
• Changes to nitrogen and carbon cycle dynamics

Remote sensing technology can assist water quality managers by assessing several parameters simultaneously in both time and space. Some potential applications of using remote sensing to monitor water quality are listed below:

• Managing shellfish beds and beach closures
• Assessing the impacts of hurricanes on coastal ocean properties
• Monitoring harmful algae
• Monitoring phytoplankton levels
• Developing total maximum daily loads (TMDL)
• Identifying nonpoint sources of fecal coliform