This book provides an introduction to bio-optical properties of Indian coastal waters, referring to the study of how light interacts with water and the materials in water to determine the health of the water by measuring oceanic biological activity. The advent of satellite technology has given a substantial boost to ocean colour research, and the ability of optical sensors to map the spatial and temporal patterns of ocean colour over regional and global scales has provided important insights into the fundamental bio-optical properties and bio-physical processes occurring in aquatic media. However, the satellite-based retrieval of ocean colour parameters demands an accurate bio-optical algorithm especially in coastal waters and such algorithms require large in situ databases for a specific area. To address these issues in Indian coastal line, the Satellite Coastal and Oceanographic Research (SATCORE) programme was initiated by the Indian Government. Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (An Autonomous Body under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Govt. of India) - INCOIS started coordinating SATCORE programme from XI-five-year plan with the aim of long-term measurements of bio-optical properties in the Bay of Bengal and Indian coastal waters. This book summarizes the work and findings of SATCORE to aid students and researchers of marine science and oceanography in the specific field of aquatic bio-optics and ocean colour.
