Status and plans for satellite ocean-colour missions: considerations for complementary missions.

Abstract

This report explains the utility of ocean colour data, summarizes technical requirements for global-scale, operational and scientific remote sensing of ocean colour in both Case 1 (open-ocean) and Case 2 (coastal) waters and addresses the issues of complementarity that arise whenever more than one sensor with similar capabilities is in orbit at the same time. The objective is to provide space agencies with the information necessary for them to begin developing an internationally-coordinated plan for the uninterrupted delivery of ocean-colour data into the indefinite future.