Novel phytoplankton information products for improved understanding of aquatic ecosystems and biodiversity based on synergistic time series analysis of Sentinel Expansion and Sentinel Mission – AQUATIME

Freshwater systems are essential for human well being, biodiversity, economic activities, and environmental sustainability. Rivers, lakes, and coastal waters supply drinking water, irrigation, energy, food, and recreation, but their quality is increasingly threatened by eutrophication, climate change, population growth, and urbanization.

The European Space Agency (ESA) is developing two next generation missions—CHIME and LSTM—launching from 2028. These missions will deliver high spectral  and spatial resolution data on visible to infrared reflectance and thermal emission. To prepare researchers, stakeholders, and end users for these capabilities, ESA created the Sentinel Users Preparation (SUP) program to demonstrate the missions’ benefits alone and in combination with existing Copernicus data.

The AQUATIME project will move beyond standard phytoplankton products (e.g., Chl a status and trends) toward identifying and monitoring phytoplankton types based on pigment composition, including harmful species. This information supports improved understanding of pressured aquatic ecosystems and meets reporting needs for several EU directives. CHIME’s hyperspectral data will enable detection of additional pigments, absorption and fluorescence properties, and improved insights into phytoplankton types, abundance, life cycles, and ecosystem impacts—enhancing traditional monitoring when combined with CHIME and LSTM data.

In particular, AQUATIME aims:

• Producing a Reference Data set for generating phytoplankton information products.
• Utilizing Machine Learning to find correlations between time series.
• Demonstrating the approach through case studies, in cooperation with users.
• Evaluating the technical feasibility of the phytoplankton community composition and biomass detection approach for operational uptake.