Superyacht radiometer tested as a source of satellite ocean colour validation data

Scientists from Plymouth Marine Laboratory and the University of Exeter used the 68-metre superyacht Archimedes, lent by philanthropists Jim and Marilyn Simons, as a platform for ocean colour measurements. An autonomous hyperspectral radiometer system, mounted on the bow, collected surface reflectance data between 2018 and 2020, including in the Antarctic Peninsula, a region rarely sampled.

The pilot, described in a January 2024 Frontiers in Remote Sensing perspective, compared the data with MODIS-Aqua at six wavelengths and found statistics comparable to traditional validation studies. The five-instrument set-up weighed about 80 lb and cost about $80,000. The team flagged challenges: the solar tracker was discontinued, with the open-source So-Rad as an alternative; FTP transfers prevented near-real-time processing; and crew-scientist coordination was vital. Data are published through NASA's SeaBASS and the Simons Foundation's CMap.

Why it matters: Sparse in-situ measurements limit how well ocean colour satellites can be validated, especially in remote waters. Opportunistic private vessels could add low-cost coverage, though the study is a pilot and cloudy conditions were excluded.