Large scale and long time-series images of the coastal zone are a cost-effective tool for effective coastal-zone management. Satellite scanners, such as Landsat, sense selected wavelengths of sunlight to provide regional digital images of the Earth's surface which can be computer processed to enhance or map certain features. In clear water, remote sensing of reflected solar radiation can be used to study and map the shallow-marine environment in clear waters to about 35 metres depth.

As part of the Geoscience Australia project investigating the geological environment and resources of the coastal zone, an algorithm (SWIM) has been developed for processing satellite multispectral data (such as Landsat TM) to study modern submarine sedimentary environments with particular emphasis on the distribution and structure of sediments, sea-grasses, reefs and benthic algae.

• The SWIM algorithm
• Comparison of raw and processed data - Hamelin Pool, Shark Bay, Western Australia