The CEOS Land Surface Imaging Virtual Constellation (LSI-VC) has endorsed a CEOS-ARD Product Family Specification (PFS) for Aquatic Reflectance (AR) products. This initial Aquatic Reflectance PFS had a restricted focus on inland water bodies and nearshore coastal regions (including optically shallow water where the substratum has a measurable reflectance signal at the surface).
With the establishment of the CEOS-ARD Oversight Group in late 2021, further CEOS Virtual Constellations (VCs) were engaged in the CEOS-ARD dialogue. As the team began to explore PFS for other domain-specific products, the CEOS Ocean Colour Radiometry VC (OCR-VC) identified that the existing Aquatic Reflectance PFS is very close to what is needed by the OCR user community. However some differences are currently present between this endorsed aquatic reflectance PFS for inland and near coastal waters and ocean waters.
Further discussions within the CEOS-ARD Oversight Group, including others from the Ocean observing community, have reaffirmed that a single consolidated AR PFS covering inland, coastal and oceanic waters is the preferred approach and that this should be developed in collaboration between CEOS, OCR-VC, GEO Aquawatch, and IOCCG.
Progress as of October 2023:
The existing Aquatic Reflectance and the IOCCG/OCR-VC representation formed a small working group:
The group met virtually in July 2023:
• The existing Aquatic Reflectance ARD document has been submitted to the IOCCG review via Google docs. IOCCG added the “track change” option to the file based on present comments and is expecting additional information from the IOCCG/OCR-VC by the middle of October 2023.
• The group will meet again by the end of October to review and discuss the new document with “track changes.”
• Arnold will share the new “track change” document with the Aquatic Reflectance working group for consultation.
• This group and other members of the IOCCG/OCR-VC and the Aquatic Reflectance working group will meet in Florida during the International Ocean Colour Science meeting (14-17 of November) to finalize the CEOS ARD document.