Portable Remote Imaging SpectroMeter (PRISM) from Elkhorn Slough to Monterey Bay, California

The estuarine waters of Elkhorn Slough terminating in Monterey Bay, California present an excellent study site for testing the limits of hyperspectral imaging spectroscopy in a region with turbid sediment-laden waters and diverse coastal habitats including eelgrass and salt marsh. In July 2012, we undertook a field validation in this region of the Portable Remote Imaging SpectroMeter (PRISM), a new imaging sensor package optimized for coastal ocean processes. PRISM provides spatial resolutions up to 30 cm and spectral resolutions of 3 nm. In-situ sampling was conducted concurrent to the PRISM flights to measure inherent optical properties of the water column and sample selected benthic and coastal habitat spectral targets.