A discussion is presented on the applications of remote sensing to fisheries. The measurement of temperature, wind stress, and ocean colour using remote sensing techniques is considered

Bhat, U.G.

Kusuma, N.

Neelakantan, B.

Sudarshana, R.

Aquatic Commons

Journal of the Indian Fisheries 
18. 1988, l79-187 
APPLICATION OF REMOTE SENSING TO MARINE FISHERIES: 
ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES 
R. SUDARSHANA*, B. NEELAKANTAN, U.G. BHAT AND N. KUSUMA 
Post Graduate Department uf Marine Biology, Karnatak University, 
Kodibag - 581 303, Karwar, India. 
INTRODUCTION 
The concept of remote sensing in marine fishery exploration 
is nothing new to the professional fisherman, who has always 
tried to locate the shoals from a vantage point in the fishing 
craft. Since the birth of organised fishery, craw's nest or any 
high position ih the vessel is used for visualising the density 
and type of fish, suggesting that perception from heights is 
more synoptic in comparision to proximal viewing. A technological 
refinement of this principle over time, has lead to the systematic 
evolution of remote sensing. 
The earlier efforts to lac ate fish in the sea from height 
were, naturally, made from hot air balloons and ajrcraft (Squire 
1982: Laurs & Brucks, 1985). But, it did not take fang to realise 
the problems of logistics and expensive operation associated 
with the said efforts, which at times, looked uneconomical. 
Morever, certain ·conceptual understandings like the one suggest-
ing that variations in ocean conditions played a key role in natural 
fluctuation of fish stocks (Hela & La eva stu, 1961; 1970) made 
it think that it is not always necessary to attempt to detect 
the fish directly. Accordingly, the remote sensing efforts shifted 
from locating fish shoals to making suitable oceanographic mea-
surements (Pearcy, 1973; Thomas, 1981) and locating favourable 
areas (Squire, 1961~ 1972) with the help of satellites. A number 
of experiments followed, among which, the notable ones are 
the ERTS-1 menhaden experiment (Kemmerer et al., 1974), Sky-
lab game fish investigation (Savastano et al.\ 1974) and Landsat 
menhaden and thread herring investigation (Brucks et al., 1977. 
While none of these efforts have attained operational status, 
* Present Address : Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, 4, Kalidas road, P.B.No.135, 
Dehradun - 248 001, India. 
160 SUDARSHANA. NEELAKANTAN. BHAT AND KUSUMA 
it still appears optimistic for us to arrive at an operational 
approach with remote sensing, in the light of conceptual soundness 
of satellite sensor applicabilityo 
CONCEPTUAL BACKGROUND 
All different remote sensing applications to fisheries, however 
contrasting they may appear in details, are based on the strength 
of synopticity that is obtainab~e rn satellite data. As seen in 
Fig. 1, the oceanographic features Bnd processes are bound by 
'/ .t 
\II 
<:>1 
N~ 10' 1 ::> ru ~ ril 
c:: 
'-
~ 
'U E 
~ 
4 
10 
10 -1 
T1me days Time days 
Fig. 1 Schematic of space - time domains of marine 
parameters and sampling platforms. 
the definitive nature of space-time continuum and a compre-
hensive sampling of them is only possible when a relative time 
freezing is simulated over large space (Sudarshana, 1987-; Sudar-
shana et a I., 1988). Delivering this effect is the uniqueness of 
remote sensing and thus the remotely sensed data enables us 
to decipher information which is tota I istic. While de a ling with 
an ecological production of the type of fish, which is immensely 
influenced by the intricate mechanism of oceanogrpahic processes, 
a totalistic approach is indispensible. 
As a result, the diverse remote sensing efforts in explaining 
marine fish resources have sought to explain the ocean conditions 
in a broad perspective, as a first step. This is normally fo1lowed 
by the development of schematic, mathematical or deterministic 
models which interrelate the ecod ynamics and trophic production. 
Finally, a relationship between the satellite sensor response 
and the resource abundance is at tempted to be established. 
However, validation of the results has always posed a challenge 
to our interpretability as it is very difficult to organise a field 
data collection that can match the synopticity of satelliteso It is 
RE~TE SENSING IN MARINE 181 
also a djfficult proposition to the synoptic to the 
ultimate user in the near real time, so that he may be appropriate-
ly equipped to exploit the situation,. In any case, all these ar_e 
not absolute constraints and dedicated efforts in future might. 
outdo the limitations they pose to contemporary researchers, 
TEMPERATURE APPROACH 
Measurement of temperature from satellite sensors is one 
of the near operational activities, world over$ Many sensors 
like Seasat Multifrequency Microwave Radiometer · (SMMR) and 
Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) have been 
flown on board satellites in the past, which have continuously 
and repetitively recorded temperature of land and ocean surfaces .. 
Additionally, thermal infrared band has also. been often included 
in operational satellites~ 
The measured Sea Surface Temperature (SST) helps in identi-
fying temperature regime, thermal fronts and upwelling zones, 
while it is also possible to interpret the data to obtain surface 
ocean circulation pattern. As the poikilothermic piscine species 
are controlled by temperature profile of ocean waters, it is 
likely that the synoptic SST information is highly correlatabte 
with· attribut~s of their life cycle. Using this fact, Lasker (1978)? 
Lasker et al .. 1981), Parrish and Maccall ( 1978) and Fiedler ( 1983) 
have described the spawning grounds of certain species in the 
temP. era ture regimes of ocean waters. The delineation of thermal 
fronts and upwelling zones also help in charting the high product-
ive zones, as shown in the works of Laurs et ala ( 1981 ), Roeffer 
et al ( 1982), Laurs et al.( 1984) and Laurs & Austin ( 1985). 
On the other hand, the models describing circula tion 9 as 
a result of the surficial differential temperature, may also be 
used to understand the transport of larvae and pelagic resources 
(Carey and Robinson, 1981; Leming, 1981; Brucks et al., 1984; 
Laurs & Austin, 1985). Fig.2 gives a schematic representation 
of the various possibilities through temperature measurrnents 
WIND STRESS APPROACH 
Measurement of wind str~ss of the ocean surface is possible 
with the help of a specialised satellite sensor like scatterometer 
which works on the principle of microwave back-scattering .. 
However, it is very unfortuna that SEAS AT, which carried 
a scatterometer on board, went out of operation within hundred 
days of its launching in 1978.. The next available scaUerorneter 
would b" on-board ERS-1, which is proposed to 
during 1990 .. 
Ulsk~. 1918 
Parrish l MacCall, 1978 tau~ et .al, 1951, 1984 
Fiedl~. 1983 Ro~ter •t 1111. 1982 
laursr. & Auetln.J985 Carey & Aobin!iOn, 1981 
leming, 1911 
Bruc.lu; e>t al1 ~4 
L&t.ws. t. AusUe.. 1915 
launched 
Fig. 2 Schematic representation of fisheries investigation 
based on SST measurement from satellites. 
The wind stress measurements made by scatterometer lead 
to the development of numerical circulation models and knowledge 
on geostrophic currents. In other words, they lead to the under-
standing of ocean surface circulation and vertical movement 
of water .. Burcks et. al.(1984) made use of this information and 
described the patterns of larval transport in water and identified 
enrichment zones of spawn material. A schematic representation 
of this approach is shown in Fig. 3. 
[t¥Wd t r oiiii'ISflO r t I 
' ln.!dt§ 1ft .!!.I, 1984 
Brucks et l:!l, 1934 
Flg. 3 Schematic representation of fisheres investigation 
on wind measurements from satellites. 
REMOTE SENSING IN MARINE FISHERIES 183 
However, this approach is not a widely attempted one, 
mainly due to the unavailability of suitable satellite data. Perhaps, 
it would set an impetus with the inception of ERS-1 and other 
microwave satellites that are planned for the next decade. 
OCEAN COLOUR APPROACH 
Studies on ocean colour have been made widely in innumerable 
coastal and marine environments, thanks to the opportunities 
provided by Coastal Zone Colour Scanner (CZ.CS), Thematic 
Mapper ( TM), Multi Spectral Scanner (MSS) and Ocean Colour 
Experiment (OCE). The ocean colour studies have mainly concen-
trated on estimating various pigments, evaluating pollutants9 
delineating turbidity and deciphering hydrographic characters 
of water. The. opportunities in the past have been wide ranging 
and the planned launching of Seaviewing Wide Field-of-view 
Sensor (Sea WiFS) on Landsat-6 during 1989-90 has kept-the hopes 
promising. 
The pigment estimation efforts have often lead to understand-
ing the primary production in synoptic levels, which in turn 
infer on trophic energy budget. While calculating the trophic 
energy budget is more of an academic exercise, Kemmerer 
et a1.(1974), Cram (1979), Fiedler (1983), Shannon et a1.(1983), 
Laurset a1.(1984) and Narain et al (1985) have used the pigment 
data Tn characterising fishing zones. 
Another approach from ocean colour sensor bands has been 
experimented by Sudarshana ( 1986) and Sudarshana et al. ( 1988). 
In this study, the time series data has been utilised in obtaining 
models that can interrelate physico-chemical parameters and 
spectral data. With an extrapolation of the resu)ts to a part 
of the Arabian Sea coastline, fish resource habitats have· 
been evaluated. 
Alternatively, the ocean colour measurements would be 
helpful in mapping turbidity and classifying pollutants in marine 
waters .. Such attempts would also be helpful in fisheries research 
as they would indicate zones of doubtful life-support. 
The opportunities of ocean colour measurements are schemati-
cally sketched in Fig.4. 
SUOAASHANA. NEELAKANTAN. BHAT AND KUSUMA 
Trophic 
energy 
budget 
Satellialll: sensor 
( CZCS, TM, MSSetcJ 
Fishing 
zones 
Kemmerer et al, 1974 
Cram, 1979 
Fiedler. 1983 
Shannon et al, 1983 
Laurs et al, 1985 
Ecological para-
meters, 
Hydrography, etc. 
Habitat 
evaluation 
Sudarshana, 1986 · 
Sud arshana et al, 
1988 
Fig. 4 Schematic representation of fisheries investigations 
b~sed on ocean colour measurements from satellites. 
CONCLUSION 
In all, the application potential of remotely sensed data 
to marine fish resource investigations is promising, but the 
operationalisation of ahy particular technique is not immediate. 
The various pathways that are being experimented have to estab-
lish in the light of severe challenges with respect to reliability 
standards. Perhaps, the approaches are to evolve so as to involve 
several satellite sensors that give information on various oceano-
graphic features. Such an integra ted approach is desirable as 
the living resources in the sea are subjected to multiple factor 
control. Inspite of all these, the transfer of useful data to the 
fisherman, in real time, is still a problem area as most of our 
fishing vessels in Indian waters are not approachable by radio 
net-work. Therefore, only sustained alround efforts can make 
useful contributions in the field of remote sensing for marine 
fisheries, in the eve of an impeding new era. 
REMOTE SENSING IN MARINE FISHERIES 185 
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 
We thank Prof. S.K. SHAN, Head, IIRS/RRSSC, Dehra Dun, 
for providing encouragement and facilities. Comments made 
by Dr. A. Lindquist, ADG of fisheries, F AO, Rome Italy on 
an earlier technical note of one of the authors (R.S.), have been 
very useful while preparing this article. Thanks are due to Ms. 
Meena Arora of IIRS, Dehra Dun for her meticulous word process-
ing. 
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