资源环境科技发展态势分析平台

In this proof‐of‐concept study, we show how satellite remote sensing can be used to detect and monitor Pacific herring spawning events in the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia, Canada. Multi‐sensor medium‐resolution (∼300 m) and high‐resolution (3 – 30 m) images reveal bright waters in the Strait of Georgia due to high concentrations of herring milt from multiple spawning events. The milt‐infused waters lead to enhanced reflectance with unique spectral characteristic that can be distinguished from other optically active constituents such as suspended sediments, coccolithophores, “whiting” particles, and shallow bottoms. While the medium‐resolution images may be used to search for cloud‐free and potential spawning sites, high‐resolution images show more details in milt distributions. Given the increased availability of high‐resolution satellite imagery at the global scale, this demonstration may promote more applications of satellite remote sensing in fisheries and ocean ecology research.