Session information
1. Sea surface roughness from high resolution SAR
  • Susanne Lehner (German Aerospace Center, Germany)
  • Alexander Soloviev (Nova Southeastern University, USA)
  • Xiaofeng Li (NOAA, USA)

Changes in the sea surface roughness are usually associated with a change in the sea surface wind field. This interaction has been exploited to measure the sea surface wind speed by scatterometry. A number of features on the sea surface associated with change in roughness can be observed on synthetic aperture radar (SAR), because of the change in Bragg backscatter of the radar signal by damping of the resonant ocean capillary waves. The change in sea surface roughness can also be observed in the sun glint area of optical imagery. With various radar frequencies, resolutions, and modes of polarization, sea surface features have been analyzed in several campaigns, bringing very different datasets together thus allowing for new insight in small scale processes at a larger areal coverage. This session aims at investigating sea surface features including but not limited to: upwelling, oceanic fronts, coastal processes on reefs, lee waves, swell, wind shadows, wind rolls, internal structures of hurricanes, oil seepage and natural slicks, internal waves, and turbulent effects due to wakes. Studies on turbulent features at the air-sea interface at a resolution below 10 m using a combination of remote sensing, in situ and modeling techniques are encouraged.

2. Satellite radar altimetry: progress in observing open oceans to coastal zone
  • Stefano Vignudelli (Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Italy)
  • Nurul Hazrina Idris (Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia)

Radar altimetry is a remote sensing technique capable of providing a unique long term observational dataset to characterize how sea level and sea state variability evolves from the open ocean to the coastal zone. In this session we invite contributions highlighting how altimeter data are improved (technologies, algorithms, etc.) and used (also in combination/synergy with in situ and/or modelling tools) to contribute to the study/research/monitoring (also operationally) of ocean circulation, storm surges and hurricanes, ocean wave field, water properties, air-sea transfer, biological-physical interactions, ecosystem dynamics, shelf processes, coral reefs, algal blooms, tsunamis, climate change, etc. Of particular interest are also studies highlighting processing and exploitation of altimeter data sets in the coastal zone.

3. Remote sensing of coastal ecosystems and intertidal flats
  • Martin Gade (Universität Hamburg, Germany)

Remote Sensing of coastal ecosystems, and in particular, remote sensing of
intertidal flats have been a research topic of coastal oceanographers and remote sensing scientists from Korea, China, and Germany (among others).

The 2018 Pan Ocean Remote Sensing conference will be an excellent opportunity to bring together experts and to discuss recent results and developments, thereby
further strengthening international collaboration.
Other coastal ecosystems, such as mangrove forests or the like, may also be covered in this session.

4. Air-sea fluxes estimated from remotely sensed data
  • Abderrahim Bentamy (IFREMER, France)

This session will encompass remotely sensed observations, theory and model studies dealing with air-sea interaction process. The objective is to demonstrate the importance and benefit of satellite observations as related to air-sea interactions, climate monitoring, operational oceanography, coastal oceanography, marine ecosystems, sea-ice monitoring and applications in seasonal forecasting.
During this session, a particular emphasis will be given to the accuracy of the flux estimates as currently attainable at global and regional scales, analysis of the fluxes at various temporal and spatial scales including trend investigations, and demonstration of usefulness in forcing and/or assimilation into numerical models. Applications to monsoonal regions are welcomed.
Papers are solicited on methods and algorithms for estimating turbulent and radiative fluxes over the sea surface using observations from satellites; analyses, interpolation, and downscaling of these fluxes; combination of measurements and/or estimates of fluxes to enhance flux accuracies at global or regional scales; validation methodologies and assessment of error and uncertainty of flux estimates; net budget estimation and characterization.
Subtopics might include:
Flux Climatology: Regional and global climatology. Statistical characterizations of fluxes at various scales. Spatial and temporal characteristics of fluxes. Methodologies adopted and their uncertainties. Studies based on comparisons with numerical analyses or re-analyses.
Remotely Sensed Flux Impact: Numerical assimilation and/or forcing simulations using remotely sensed fluxes. Methods dealing with the characterization of the impact of surface flux products in modeling of ocean circulation process.

5. GOCI-II development and application
  • Hyun Yang (KIOST, Rep. of Korea)
  • Young-Je Park (KIOST, Rep. of Korea)
  • Wonkook Kim (KIOST, Rep. of Korea)
  • Myung-Sook Park (KIOST, Rep. of Korea)
  • Seongick Cho (KIOST, Rep. of Korea)
  • Hee-Jeong Han (KIOST, Rep. of Korea)

Papers in this session will address research topics about developments and applications of Geostationary Ocean Color Imager-II (GOCI-II) and it ground system (G2GS) based on state-of-the-art remote sensing and information technologies.

6. Ocean color application
  • Young-Heon Jo (Pusan National Unviersity, Rep. of Korea)
  • Young-Je Park (KIOST, Rep. of Korea)
  • Fang Shen (East China Normal University, China)

Various remote sensing observations are the most cost-effective tool for scientific analysis and management purposes. Satellite ocean color observations, especially, have been used for last decades to understand biological ocean responses to global climate changes or vice versa. Accordingly, this session will address the scientific efforts of ocean color remote sensing observations in ISRS for analyzing various ocean color remote sensing applications including physical-biogeochemical property changes. Specifically, this session calls for ocean color applications for following phenomena (not limited to these) such as long-term trends, seasonal and interannal changes of ocean color measurements, ocean color meso-scales of internal waves, river plumes, eddies, upwelling and front. In addition, analyzing biogeochemical property variations resulting from regional and climate changes can be another perspective for understanding environmental changes based on ocean color measurements.

7. Sustainable development of Fisheries and Aquaculture using the multi-remote sensing technology and GIS
  • Sei-Ichi Saitoh (Hokkaido University, Japan)
  • Ming-An Lee (National Taiwan Ocean University, Taiwan)

This is key issue of global concern for sustainable use of fisheries and aquaculture resources. Satellite remote sensing and marine-GIS for fisheries and aquaculture has been developing and an operational use is required for sustainable development and management. The international consensus to follow ecosystem-based management raises the imperative to design and implement a suite of ecological indicators with a view to detecting change in the marine ecosystem should it occur in response to perturbations, for example by climate change or by overfishing.

Papers are solicited the following and related topics:

  • Operational Use of Remote Sensing for Fish Harvesting
  • Modeling of Habitat Suitability Index/Potential Fishing Zone
  • Application of VMS (Vessel Monitoring System) with satellite remote sensing data for fisheries management.
  • Application of Remote Sensing and Marine-GIS for By-catch solution
  • Use of Remote Sensing and Marin-GIS in Aquaculture
  • Implications of Climate Change on Fisheries
  • Food Security and Sustainability
  • Earth Observation Satellite Data in Fisheries Models

Applications of Remote Sensing and Numerical Modeling in the Management of Coastal Zones and Fisheries

8. Operational oceanography
  • Nimit Kumar (INCOIS, India)
  • Aneesh Lotliker (INCOIS, India)
  • Kunal Chakraborty (INCOIS, India)

Remote Sensing provides opportunities for sustained operational ocean services covering wide range of topics. This session is proposed to cover (but not limited to) disciplines: Ecosystem processes, Coral Bleaching, Fishery, HABs, Oil Spill, Primary Productivity, Sea Level, Ocean Warming etc.

9. Satellite remote sensing application to meteorology, air quality, and climate
  • Jhoon Kim (Yonsei University, Rep. of Korea)
  • Dohyeong Kim (National Meteorological Satellite Center, Rep. of Korea)
  • Chu-Yong Chung (National Meteorological Satellite Center, Rep. of Korea)
  • Myung-Sook Park (KOST, Rep. of Korea)
  • Jongmin Yoon (National Institute of Environmental Research, Rep. of Korea)

Application of ocean remote sensing has been extended to monitoring atmosphere, land, and air quality, and their long-term accumulated satellite datasets therefore have been used for diagnosing climate variability and change. Similarly, meteorological and other satellites have been utilized for oceanic application. This session aims to accommodate dedicated studies in the following topics:

Ocean satellite application to weather and air quality
Meteorological and environmental satellite applications to ocean monitoring
Climate change and variability study using satellite remote sensing
Synergistic use of ocean satellite with meteorological and environmental satellites
Other relevant studies encompassing atmosphere-ocean-land surface

*Studies of recent algorithm development related to Geo-Kompsat 2A/2B are welcome.

10. Remote Sensing and Understanding of Floating Vegetation Populations in the World Ocean
  • Jim Gower (Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Institute of Ocean Sciences, Canada)
  • Stephanie King (Sea This Consulting, Canada)

This is a topic much in recent news, both in the west (Caribbean and other tropical areas affected by overwhelming Sargassum beachings) and in the area local to PORSEC 2018 (Green tides in the Yellow Sea). Floating vegetation has a significant spectral signature (red edge), but tends to be quickly mixed by wind, and submerged to depths where this is no longer visible. Location of problem populations can be very variable and is probably being influenced by human activities, including climate change.

Papers are solicited on the following and related topics:

  • Satellite and aircraft remote sensing of floating vegetation, including potential new sensors
  • Operational and research programs involving floating vegetation
  • Energy, pollution and land agriculture implications.
  • Modelling of movement for long and short-term predictions
  • Understanding global population distributions
11. Advances in ocean observation with SAR
  • Andre Ivanoff (P.P.Shirshov Institute of Oceanology Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia)

Researchers having studies and achievements in observations with synthetic aperture radars (SAR) of oceanic and atmospheric phenomena, such as oceanic surface and internal waves, fronts, eddies, upwellings, oil spills, and atmospheric gravity waves, atmospheric fronts, rain cells, etc., are cordial

12. Polarization Sensitivity of Satellite Ocean Color Sensors
  • Seongick Cho (KIOST, Rep. of Korea)
  • Young-Je Park (KIOST, Rep. of Korea)
  • Sang-Soon Yong (KARI, Rep. of Korea)

For the highly accurate retrieval of water-leaving radiances for the ocean color radiometry,
characterization and correction of sensor polarization is required.
Session Objectives

  1. Pre-launch characterization of sensor polarization
  2. On-orbit correction of sensor polarization
13. Machine learning applications to ocean satellite remote sensing
  • Jungho Im (Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Rep. of Korea)
  • Hyangsun Han (Korea Polar Research Institute. Rep. of Korea)

Machine learning has recently gained a great popularity in various application fields, including remote sensing, pattern recognition, image analysis, and time series analysis (i.e., monitoring and forecasting). In particular, not only rule-based machine learning approaches, but also more advanced deep learning methods have been evaluated for remote sensing-based classification and regression tasks. This session is proposed to cover (but not limited to) various ocean applications utilizing machine learning: Water Quality, Coastal Management, Red Tide, Sea Ice, Oil Spill, Primary Productivity, Bathymetry, Sea Surface Temperature, Sea Surface Salinity, and Carbon Fluxes.