Influence of Water Column Chlorophyll Concentration on Bathymetric Estimations in the Lagoon of New Caledonia, Using Several MERIS Images

Variations in water column chlorophyll concentration significantly impact bathymetric estimations derived from multispectral satellite imagery, particularly in optically complex environments like the Lagoon of New Caledonia. The study demonstrates that a method using Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) images—rotating red and green spectral bands to isolate depth-dependent and reflectance-dependent components—yields accurate bathymetric results only when chlorophyll concentrations remain low (<3) and stable (<10% variation). Exceeding these thresholds leads to increased root mean square error (RMSE) in bathymetric maps, underscoring the critical role of water composition in remote sensing accuracy. This finding highlights the need for careful consideration of chlorophyll variability when using satellite data for underwater topography mapping.

Minghelli-Roman, A., & Dupouy, C. (2013). Influence of Water Column Chlorophyll Concentration on Bathymetric Estimations in the Lagoon of New Caledonia, Using Several MERIS Images. IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing, 6(2), 739–745. https://doi.org/10.1109/jstars.2013.2239260