Sustainable management of marine and coastal ecosystems relies on consistent and precise environmental monitoring. These regions act as primary regulators for global biodiversity and climate health. Central to this system is the sea upper layer, a critical interface where exchanges of heat, gases, and particles take place. Despite covering more than 70% of Earth’s surface, the oceans remain among the least systematically observed components of the Earth system, creating significant knowledge gaps that restrict the capacity to fully understand and anticipate environmental change.
Current water quality monitoring primarily utilizes satellite remote sensing and conventional in-situ tools. Remote sensing is effective for mapping broad environmental threats and providing spatial data at scales unachievable through ground surveys. However, satellites are often unable to capture small-scale variability, and many conventional observational tools are seldom deployed in offshore areas. This leaves the sea surface layer largely inaccessible to global monitoring networks.
LIFeLiDAR (Laser-Induced Fluorescence environmental LiDAR), based in Sophia Antipolis, was established to address this critical observational gap through the development of LIF LiDAR technology. Unlike passive remote sensing, which relies on reflected sunlight, LIF LiDAR is an active optical instrument that uses laser pulses to excite fluorescence in the water column. Its hyperspectral LiDAR architecture enables measurements both beneath the water surface and through surface films, allowing for the direct detection of oil slicks and subsurface emulsions. Through the integration of multi-wavelength elastic backscatter with Raman and fluorescence detection channels, this technology provides comprehensive insights into the physical, chemical, and biological properties of the sea upper layer.
This joint effort utilizes a range of precision instruments designed for diverse operational environments:
• The mFL.12 (micro Fluorescence LiDAR), a miniaturized active optical instrument designed by LIFeLiDAR for in situ measurements of water quality parameters of various aquatic environments. It is designed for integration on mobile systems such as USVs, AUVs, and aerial drones, and also for long-term deployment on above-water constructions and organizing scalable monitoring networks with real-time data acquisition, 5G data transfer, and analysis. The sensor provides such water quality parameters as Chlorophyll-a, Colored Dissolved Organic Matter (CDOM), and Total Suspended Sediments (TSS) concentration. The mFL.12 development was partly funded by the French Government in frames of the France 2030 Program, operated by ADEME.
• The LIFL.11, a compact, robust, marine-grade system engineered for high-productive measurements with the highest spatial resolution from research vessels, offshore platforms, or aerial unmanned vehicles. It features multi-wavelength laser excitation and a four-channel receiver with 48-band detection for detailed characterization of the sea upper layer and land surface.
