Viewpoint
The value of remote sensing techniques in supporting effective extrapolation across multiple marine spatial scales

Highlights

Ecological and environmental features often require data to be extrapolated to larger scales for reporting purposes.

This review describes the discontinuities inherent within the extrapolative process.

It provides guidance on how to extrapolate effectively across multiple spatial scales.

It reviews many of the remote sensing techniques that can facilitate this process.

Ultimately, this guidance will aid the production of robust and consistent extrapolations.

Abstract

The reporting of ecological phenomena and environmental status routinely required point observations, collected with traditional sampling approaches to be extrapolated to larger reporting scales. This process encompasses difficulties that can quickly entrain significant errors. Remote sensing techniques offer insights and exceptional spatial coverage for observing the marine environment. This review provides guidance on (i) the structures and discontinuities inherent within the extrapolative process, (ii) how to extrapolate effectively across multiple spatial scales, and (iii) remote sensing techniques and data sets that can facilitate this process. This evaluation illustrates that remote sensing techniques are a critical component in extrapolation and likely to underpin the production of high-quality assessments of ecological phenomena and the regional reporting of environmental status. Ultimately, is it hoped that this guidance will aid the production of robust and consistent extrapolations that also make full use of the techniques and data sets that expedite this process.

Keywords

Remote sensing techniques
Extrapolation
Spatial scaling
Monitoring requirement paradox

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