Emerging Remote Sensing Technologies in Coastal Observation

Dear Colleagues,

Remote sensing technologies have become invaluable tools for coastal observations. They provide precise and accurate data for coastal landform characterization, coastal vulnerability assessment, and coastal monitoring. Recently, remote sensing technologies have witnessed tremendous improvements in sensors, platforms, and data analysis. Particularly, technologies such as Low-Earth-Orbit satellites (IRIDE Constellation and  Planet Scope…); UAV-based 3D reconstruction techniques (Aerial Photogrammetry, LiDAR…); very-high-resolution earth observation satellites (WorldView, GeoEyes-1 from Maxar Technologies…); AI-based image analyses ( Super resolution image, AI foundation models, cloud removal…); and the Internet of Things (IoT) and open-source software ( DSAS, QGIS, Google Earth engine…) have shown great potential in coastal observations-based research studies.

However, the applications of these technologies in coastal observations are limited and not well documented. The use of data from active and passive sensors, like UAV-based LiDAR, hyperspectral, thermal and altimetry, has proven to be efficient and cost-effective for the monitoring of coastal processes (erosion, accretion, flooding, subsidence, and sea water intrusion). Additionally, with the ongoing climate change, remote sensing technologies can be used to obtain information on the dynamics and evolution of coastal landforms. They can be used for the establishment of unprecedented cost-efficient and spatial–temporal flexible systems for multi-scale studies in mapping and monitoring of fluvial landforms (alluvial plain, flood plain, river mouth, structural hill…); marine landforms (beach berm, beach cusps, beach ridges, beach scarp, beach terrace, coastal plain, sandy beach, sand spit, salt flats, rocky shore cliff, coastal upland, marshy, swamp, lagoon, estuary, mud flat, tidal flat, offshore rocky outcrops, sand bar, wave cut platform, wave cut notch…); fluvio-marine landforms (shoal, swale, deltaic plain…); aeolian landforms (sand dune, barrier sand dune, teri sand…); and coastal artificial structures (Groynes, revetement, seawalls, dikes, jetties,  piers…).

This Special Issue will focus on the latest emerging remote sensing technologies for coastal observations. We aim to publish studies covering different datasets acquired by different sensors and platforms. Authors are invited to submit original manuscripts on topics including (but not limited to) the following:

• UAV-based 3D coastal reconstruction techniques (photogrammetry and LiDAR);
• UAV-based coastal monitoring using visible light, thermal Infrared, hyperspectral, and multispectral cameras;
• AI foundation models in different coastal environments monitoring;
• New algorithms and techniques for different coastal processes monitoring;
• Real-scene 3D modeling of coastal areas at very high resolutions;
• Technological progress in coastal risk prevention, control; and coastal flood disaster prevention, mitigation, and emergency response capabilities;
• UAV-based green LiDAR for topo-bathymetric studies;
• Airborne LiDAR for large-scale coastal monitoring;
• Very-high-resolution satellite image analysis for land cover and land use mapping;
• IoT-based coastal monitoring system;
• Shoreline mapping and forecasting.

Dr. Anselme Muzirafuti
Dr. Andrew Clive Banks
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Remote Sensing is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• AI foundation model
• deep learning
• machine learning
• shoreline
• coastal erosion
• coastline
• earth observation
• satellite-derived shoreline
• marine science
• coastal vulnerability
• sea level rise
• tidal modeling