Aboveground biomass and spectral reflectance of Zostera marina in the south-western Baltic Sea.

This dataset contains field-based remote sensing reflectance and aboveground biomass (AGB) measurements for the seagrass species Zostera marina (Linnaeus, 1753) collected at Poel Island, Germany. The data were acquired during two distinct seasonal phases: the peak-growth phase in August 2022 and the senescent phase in September 2023. The primary purpose of this dataset was to evaluate the performance and saturation behaviour of 32 different vegetation indices (VIs) for non-destructive biomass estimation. It includes raw spectral reflectance curves (320-1100 nm), calculated vegetation indices, and corresponding dry weight measurements (g DW m-2). This data is essential for researchers looking to develop or validate depth-correction models and remote sensing monitoring tools for high-biomass temperate seagrass meadows. The files available are: 1_Station_Metadata: Contains site-specific information for 24 sampling points, including coordinates, sampling dates, and water depths. 2_Spectral_Reflectance_Data: Provides raw, un-smoothed remote sensing reflectance (Rrs) values obtained using UDS-1100 spectroradiometer. 3_Biomass_and_Indices: Includes the lab-processed aboveground biomass and percentage cover estimates and the values for all 32 vegetation indices calculated in this study. README: Explains the column headers, abbreviations and units used across the spreadsheets.