Context and objectives
End user uptake of an Earth Observation (EO) service is influenced by several factors such as data availability, the quality and fit-for-purpose of the provided EO products, the technical infrastructure, ease of use, data fusion, customization, education and training, community engagement, technical support, cost/licensing and integration of user feedback. By combining the high-quality aquatic products from RBINS, based on experienced gained in previous BELSPO STEREO projects (e.g. Multi-Sync, NorthHeat), with the advanced toolset of TERRASCOPE (i.e. processing capacity, web viewer, EOplaza for customized products) from VITO, many of the above-mentioned factors are covered.
The AQUASCOPE project aims to integrate aquatic Earth Observation products into the Terrascope framework to enhance satellite data services for the Belgian part of the North Sea, with a possibility to expand the region of interest. It focuses on providing high-quality, near-real-time data products such as suspended particulate matter, turbidity, chlorophyll-a, and sea surface temperature, tailored to the needs of federal and regional government services, the marine science community, and private sector stakeholders. By leveraging advanced multi-algorithm processing and quality control measures, AQUASCOPE seeks to ensure the continuity and operational reliability of these services, facilitating improved environmental management and decision-making for coastal activities.
To reach this main objective the following technical objectives are defined:
- Develop and provide high-quality satellite data products for the Belgian North Sea by adapting the existing multi-mission RBINS satellite data processing chain to the Terrascope environment.
- Generate L3D , L4D, L4M and L4Y products at various spatial resolutions (10m to 500m) and timescales (daily, monthly, yearly, long-term with anomalies) from 2015 up to Near Real Time (24-hour latency) based on satellite products provided by Sentinel-2/MSI, Sentinel-3/OLCI, Sentinel-3/SLSTR, Landsat-8/TIRS.
- Implement a Product Quality Control system to ensure high-quality products specifically for the Belgian North Sea's turbid and eutrophic waters.
- Facilitate user access and uptake of data through integration with the Terrascope web viewer and EOPlaza.
- Establish an AQUASCOPE Service Desk to support users and gather feedback.
- Continuous evaluation and improvement of the service, with quality control procedures applied to ensure the accuracy and reliability of output products.
- Provide long-term operational services to strengthen existing ad hoc arrangements with Belgian North Sea users.
Project outcome
Expected products and services
Proposed products/service, underlying satellite data, methodology and validation, maturity
Spatial coverage of the AQUASCOPE North Sea service is defined as the Belgian North Sea, including surrounding coastal waters and major ports (Zeebrugge, Oostende, Nieuwpoort) within the box (49°N-53°N, 2°W-5°E). Data will be provided at various spatial resolutions down to 10m (SPM/TUR from Sentinel-2).
Temporal coverage of AQUASCOPE North Sea service is defined as from 2015 to the current day, with target latency of <24 hours with expected success rate of 95% for the near Real Time (NRT) data with time delay mainly limited by the input satellite data. Data will be provided as individual images (“daily”) as well as multi-temporal averages for monthly, yearly and long-term multi-year data and multi-year (“climatology”) monthly data.
Extension of the service can be achieved in response to user requests via the Terrascope/Eoplaza including: extension of spatial coverage (beyond the Belgian North Sea), new products when supporting R&D is completed (e.g. euphotic depth, underwater visibility).
The core parameters to be provided include:
· Suspended particulate Matter (SPM) concentration
· Turbidity (TUR), following the ISO 7027-1:2016 definition [Nechad, 2009]
· Chlorophyll a (CHL) concentration
· Algal bloom detection (AB) and eutrophication assessment (EUTRO)
· Quasi-true colour (RGB) image
· Sea Surface Temperature (SST)
· Floating Objects/Vegetation (FO/FV)
· Remote sensing reflectance (Rrs)
The AQUASCOPE service is generated from the level 1 and 2 satellite data of Sentinel-2/A&B, Sentinel-3/A&B (OLCI and SLSTR), Landsat-8 and Landsat-9 (including Thermal IR bands).
Further fixed GIS layers, e.g. coastline, bathymetry, country sea borders, Economic Exclusion Zone, sea use (Marine Protected Areas, wind farms, etc.) will be provided for superposition with the satellite data.
The core parameters, both satellite data products and algorithms, have been validated in supporting research papers, e.g. Rrs (Ruddick et al. 2024; Van der Zande et al. 2023, Vanhellemont and Ruddick 2021; Vanhellemont 2019), SPM (Nechad et al 2010; Nechad et al. 2011), TUR (Nechad et al 2009; Dogliotti et al. 2015), CHL (Van der Zande et al. 2019), SST (Vanhellemont 2020; Vanhellemont et al. 2022), FV (Dogliotti et al. 2018). Validation of Rrs is continuous at RBINS in the framework of the ESA/HYPERNET-POP contract (to 2027) using WATERHYPERNET and AERONET-OC data with respectively 3 and 2 sites providing continuous data in Belgian waters.
All products proposed by AQUASCOPE are mature. The optical products (all core parameters except SST) are based on ~15 years experience at RBINS in algorithm development, satellite data processing and algorithm and product validation. Many of the products are based partly or wholly on algorithms designed by RBINS, often stimulated by the need for better quality products in turbid waters, e.g. for Rrs, CHL and FV, or by strong user needs (SPM, TUR). The SST products from Sentinel-3 and Landsat-8/9 are well-established.
Further products are under development, in response to user needs and new satellite data, e.g. phytoplankton functional types from PACE hyperspectral data. These products are not sufficiently mature and validated for a release under AQUASCOPE 2025-27 but may constitute future evolutions.
| Project leader(s): | IRSNB/KBIN - Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences | |
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