Airborne hyperspectral detection of microbial mat pigmentation in Rangiroa atoll (French Polynesia)

The pigmentation of a cyanobacterial mat located in Rangiroa atoll (French Polynesia) was characterized using low-altitude (500 m) Compact Airborne Spectrometer Imager hyperspectral measurements. Peaks in second and fourth derivatives of the reflective absorptance can be explained by chlorophyll and carotenoid pigments, which were independently identified by high-pressure liquid chromatography. Phycobilin pigments were also detected from airborne measurements. The study confirms the extensibility of derivative spectroscopy from in vivo to high-resolution remote sensing measurements for biology and geochemistry investigations in marine communities.