Satellite picture of cyanobacterial bloom in the Baltic Proper, July 2010. (Photo: MERIS/ESA)

Earth observation satellites cover large areas with frequent temporal repetition and provide us with new insight into ocean and coastal processes. Ocean colour measurements from satellite remote sensing are linked to the bio-optics, which refers to the light interactions with living organisms and dissolved and suspended constituents in the aquatic environment. Human pressures have changed the aquatic ecosystems, by, for example, the increased input of nutrient and organic matter leading to eutrophication. This thesis aims to study and develop the link between bio-optical data and the remote sensing method to the monitoring and management of the Baltic Sea. The results are applied to the European Union’s Water Directives, and the Baltic Sea Action Plan from the Helsinki commission.

• Read full thesis in DiVA portal
• Read the recently published article in AMBIO: "Relationships between colored dissolved organic matter and dissolved organic carbon in different coastal gradients of the Baltic Sea", E. Therese Harvey , Susanne Kratzer, Agneta Andersson, 2015
• Watch short video summary