Integrated Multi-Scale Monitoring of Vulnerable Beach-Dune Systems by means of Satellite Remote Sensing and Laser Scanning (MultiCoastSense)

• Applicants: Professorin Dr. Katharina Anders; Dr. Sandro Martinis
• Subject Area: Geodesy, Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing, Geoinformatics, Cartography
• Term: since 2026
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 580515952

Remote sensing provides essential insights into the complex dynamics shaping coastal and nearshore environments. As coastal processes operate across multiple spatial and temporal scales, effective monitoring of key indicators is crucial for understanding morphodynamic change patterns. High-impact events such as storms and tides interact with ongoing sedimentation and erosion, continuously reshaping shorelines and dune systems over time. These dynamics are particularly pronounced in the vulnerable beach-dune systems of the Wadden Sea barrier islands, where the high spatial and temporal variability of coastal features demands a flexible and integrated multi-scale monitoring approach. However, most existing applications rely on single-sensor approaches, limiting the ability to exploit complementary characteristics that could improve the detection and analysis of coastal change. In addition, current research commonly treats individual indicators separately, leaving the interactions between them insufficiently quantified and understood. The central objective of this project is to develop an integrated, multi-scale monitoring framework for vulnerable beach-dune systems by combining continuous satellite remote sensing with multitemporal in-situ laser scanning data. The project aims to advance coastal monitoring through the development of comprehensive multi-scale data fusion framework. Analytical methods will be designed and benchmarked for the combination of optical and radar satellite time series to detect and characterize key indicators of coastal dynamics with quantified uncertainties. UAV-based laser scanning data will be fused with satellite-derived products, enabling cross-scale validation, calibration, and accurate volumetric change estimation, including rigorous co-registration and uncertainty propagation. Furthermore, an adaptive, satellite-driven tasking strategy will be developed to optimize the timing of in-situ LiDAR acquisitions based on expected information gain, thereby reducing costs and latency while maximizing event detection and monitoring efficiency. The uncertainty framework will support the transferability and scalability of the developed methods to additional coastal sites where in-situ data availability is limited, ensuring broad applicability and long-term sustainability of the proposed monitoring approach. The overarching goal is to establish a robust and automated remote sensing workflow that support reliable, long-term monitoring of coastal dynamics in vulnerable beach-dune systems through satellite monitoring with informed triggering and integration of in-situ topographic acquisitions.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants