About SUPaCOOL
Advancing coastal carbon science through next-generation satellite technology and innovative algorithm development for the land-ocean boundary.
Project Vision
The European Space Agency (ESA) funded SUPaCOOL project prepares the scientific community for transformative advances in coastal monitoring enabled by the Sentinel Expansion Missions. By creating reference datasets, developing novel algorithms, and validating approaches across contrasting coastal environments, we’re establishing the foundation for operational carbon tracking at scales critical for understanding climate and supporting environmental policy.
Project Objectives
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Create Reference Open Dataset
Simulate CHIME and LSTM measurements at water level, combining existing archives with new field observations from targeted experimental campaigns -
Develop Novel Algorithms
Advance algorithms for DOC, POC, and primary production including phytoplankton size class discrimination using hyperspectral capabilities -
Validate Across Environments
Test algorithms in tidally-dominated (Western English Channel) and non-tidal (Northern Adriatic) coastal systems to ensure robust performance -
Resolve Spatial-Temporal Scales
Investigate achievable resolution of spatial and temporal variability through time series and spatial distribution analysis at field sites -
Prepare User Community
Develop roadmap for stakeholders to maximize opportunities from new satellite capabilities and inform ESA on priority development areas -
Maximize ESA Synergies
Coordinate with ongoing initiatives (SCOPE, COOL, HyperBOOST) to produce step-change advances through sensor synergy
Impact & Applications
Climate Science
Improve carbon cycle models by filling major gaps in understanding coastal carbon movement- essential for accurate climate projections and carbon budget assessments.
Environmental Policy
Support EU Water Framework and Bathing Water Directives with enhanced monitoring capabilities. Contribute to future Copernicus Water Service development.
Scientific Community
Provide open reference datasets and validated algorithms enabling researchers worldwide to exploit CHIME and LSTM data for coastal carbon research.
Operational Monitoring
Establish foundation for operational coastal carbon tracking, enabling routine monitoring of organic carbon fluxes at policy-relevant scales.
The coastal carbon challenge
Coastal oceans occupy only 10% of global ocean area yet play an outsized role in marine productivity and carbon cycling. Understanding how carbon moves through these dynamic zones is critical for climate science, yet our observational capabilities have been fundamentally limited – until now.
30% Global Primary Production
Coastal waters drive nearly one-third of global oceanic primary production despite their small footprint, making them critical for understanding marine carbon cycles.
80% Carbon Burial
The vast majority of organic carbon burial in marine sediments occurs in coastal zones, representing a major long-term carbon sink.
River Impacts
DOC and POC inputs from rivers have large but poorly quantified impacts on coastal ecosystems and CO₂ fluxes on continental shelves.
ESA Project Synergies
SUPaCOOL maximizes impact through strategic coordination with ongoing ESA initiatives, creating synergies that advance coastal observation capabilities beyond what individual projects could achieve alone.
SCOPE
Sentinel Coastal Ocean Products Exploitation- coordination on algorithm development and validation approaches for challenging coastal optical environments.
COOL
Coastal Ocean Observations Laboratory- shared field site infrastructure and coordinated measurement campaigns for comprehensive dataset development.
HyperBOOST
Hyperspectral Bio-Optical Ocean Satellite Tools—leveraging hyperspectral algorithm advances and radiative transfer modeling expertise for CHIME preparation.