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Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS), which will be flown on the environmental satellite 
ENVISAT. This instrument is suitable for environmental monitoring and for global change 
research. Use of the data requires sophisticated evaluation methods that are tailored to the 
specific problems, with high demands on the validation of methods and results. ESA will only 
generate some operational data products which will not meet specific regional requirements. 
To achieve optimum use of MERIS, it will be necessary 
- to prepare complementary data products, both scientifically and technically, already prior to 
launching 
- to inform possible users about applications, and to provide instruction and training 
- to carry out demonstration projects jointly with users and adapt evaluation methods to 
specific applications and requirements. 
To achieve these goals, the four research institutes 
Institute for Optoelectronics (DLR) 
Institute for Space Sensor Technology 
Institute of Hydrophysics (GKSS) 
Institute for Space Sciences (FU Berlin) 
are co-operating within MAPP (MERIS Application and Regional Products Project). 
Although the Institutes are supposed to co-operate closely, there are certain focuses 
concerning planned applications. With respect to water applications, the following 
specialization has been made: 
coastal zone and tidal flats: GKSS (Institute of Hydrophysics) 
oceans: DLR (Institute for Space Sensor Technology) 
inland bodies of water: DLR (Institute for Optoelectronics) 
Products and services 
Water-borne substances affecting the optical properties of water are pigments, inorganic 
suspended matter, and yellow substances. Among the pigments, chlorophyll-a in 
phytoplankton generally is predominant. 
Depending on the body of water observed (e.g. German Bight, Baltic, Lake Constance), these 
substances have different inherent optical properties (IOPs). From the MERIS data, taking 
into account these regional IOPs, the concentrations of water-borne substances are computed 
and made available as data products. 
Applications are found in the following areas: 
- monitoring tasks of the German regulatory authorities (BSH) 
- oceanographic and limnetic research (JGOFS, LOICZ, ELOISE) 
- identification of water pollution 
- basis for primary production models 
- basis for water cycle models (climate research) 
DLR-P6 Regional mapping of water-borne substances based on MOS data 
Objectives 
operation of imaging spectrometer MOS-IRS, data reception, primary processing (IB), 
data archiving and dissemination 
from the MOS data, development and validation of specific case II algorithms for the