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Portable Remote Imaging SpectroMeter (PRISM) from Elkhorn Slough to Monterey Bay, California

Published by NASA/GSFC/SED/ESD/GCDC/OB.DAAC;NASA/GSFC/SED/ESD/GCDC/SeaBASS | National Aeronautics and Space Administration | Metadata Last Checked: February 21, 2026 | Last Modified: 2026-02-17
The estuarine waters of Elkhorn Slough terminating in Monterey Bay, California present an excellent study site for testing the limits of hyperspectral imaging spectroscopy in a region with turbid sediment-laden waters and diverse coastal habitats including eelgrass and salt marsh. In July 2012, we undertook a field validation in this region of the Portable Remote Imaging SpectroMeter (PRISM), a new imaging sensor package optimized for coastal ocean processes. PRISM provides spatial resolutions up to 30 cm and spectral resolutions of 3 nm. In-situ sampling was conducted concurrent to the PRISM flights to measure inherent optical properties of the water column and sample selected benthic and coastal habitat spectral targets.

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