Comparison of Fluorescence Retrieval Algorithms using Radiative Transfer Simulations and Field Measurements

Performance of fluorescence height algorithms is analyzed based on synthesized and field data. In this paper we analyze performance of these algorithms for coastal waters conditions, using results of comprehensive measurements of the water parameters in the Chesapeake Bay in July 2005. Underwater upwelling radiances near water surface were measured by a GER spectroradiometer in the fiber optic mode which has 512 channels in the wavelength range from 300 to 1100 nm, normalized by the reflection from a Spectralon plate. Optical water characteristics were measured by a WET Labs package, which included an acs instrument (absorption and attenuation at 82 wavelengths) and a bb9 instrument (7 channels for backscattering in wavelength range from 400 to 715 nm, chlorophyll fluorescence and CDOM fluorescence).