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Peer-Reviewed Articles

Vol. 31 No. 2 (2025)

Satellite imagery for hazard detection: better use of satellite imagery could help prevent groundings in the Canadian Arctic

Submitted
December 16, 2025
Published
2025-12-18

Abstract

This study demonstrates how satellite imagery can reduce the risk of grounding in poorly surveyed waters. Automated shoal detection and satellite-derived bathymetry (SDB) were applied to Sentinel-2 imagery for seven grounding sites in the Canadian Arctic. Shoal detection was successful for all sites, and SDB showed depths as shallow as 0.3 m. Proactive use of satellite imagery, even without advanced image processing, could have provided mariners with vital information on the location of uncharted shoals and prevented costly and dangerous accidents. The hydrographic community should accelerate the inclusion of satellite-derived products into the information provided to mariners for safety of navigation.