Environmental optics, remote sensing and phytoplankton ecology

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Optical remote sensing of water provides an extremely useful tool to observe and study oceans and lakes. To do this, satellite measurements must be accurately interpreted based on an understanding of the underlying physics and biology of these sensitive environments. This requires the development of precise algorithms grounded in a deep understanding of ecosystem functioning. My long-term vision is to ensure that disparate measurements - remote and in situ, biology and physics - are correctly interpreted and fed (assimilated) into advanced models that describe how aquatic systems function and respond to human impacts. While today this is done mostly with physical variables, biological aspects are only starting to be used in assimilation models because their interpretation is more complex. My lab has been working towards this long-term goal through a series of studies on different key system variables that could unlock a new understanding of aquatic systems: Sun-induced fluorescence provides information on phytoplankton physiology while the volume scattering function provides information on all small living and non-living particles present in water. By making rapid advances in inversion modelling procedures, we will show their groundbreaking potential to help us understand better how aquatic systems function at large scales. The present proposal has three main short-term objectives: 1) better identify the sources of variability in the volume scattering function and Sun-induced fluorescence in the ocean to allow improved in situ and remote sensing observations; 2) Advance large-scale remote sensing of lakes using satellites to allow monitoring and the study of changes in lakes over time and the extent of human impacts; 3) Improve our understanding of the human impacts on lakes across Canada now and into the future by assessing how the activities within a lake's watershed together with climate change can modify lake functioning. Theses short-term objectives will be achieved by training several students and postdocs who will strongly benefit from the very diverse activities in my research program, develop great scientific breadth and skills to advance state-of-the-art methods, and answer key contemporary scientific questions. They will furthermore be participating in international collaborative efforts that have grown through previous grants from the NSERC Discovery program.