Innovative EO-Based Approaches for Coastal Dynamics from the ESA COASTDyn project

Monitoring coastal dynamics is essential for sustainable management, disaster risk reduction, and the protection of both ecosystems and human communities. To achieve this, satellite data are essential. However, coastal regions present unique challenges due to their smaller spatial scales, higher variability, and complex features such as estuaries and lagoons. Recent and upcoming satellite missions are advancing coastal monitoring with enhanced spatial and temporal resolutions (e.g., Sentinel-1 and -2, SWOT) and improved radar techniques (e.g., SAR, FFSAR). 

The ESA-funded “COASTal Dynamics – COASTDyn” project aims to identify major gaps in scientific knowledge and available satellite-derived data products for coastal regions, and to conduct dedicated research activities to reduce these gaps and improve our understanding of the complex processes occurring at the land-sea interface. 

In this presentation, the project’s activities and preliminary results will be shared. During the first phase of COASTDyn, an innovative set of Earth Observation-based methods and products will be developed by leveraging a large set of synergistic observations from space, as well as in-situ measurements, available along the land-ocean boundary. Progress on the development of various products will be presented, including: a coastal Mean Dynamic Topography in the Lofoten region; a novel approach for deriving sea-surface currents from SAR satellite observations based on a fully observation-driven method applied to the Lofoten region; an improved sea-level mapping incorporating SWOT swath data along the European Atlantic façade; and, finally, preliminary tidal research for the Wadden Sea based on a Bayesian inference method that combines SWOT with Sentinel-6 FFSAR observations.