Visible spectral radiometric measurements from space, commonly referred to as ocean-colour measurements, provide a rich stream of information on ocean biota as well as on biological and ecosystem processes. The strength of the ocean-colour technology for observing marine life lies in its global reach, combined with its ability to sample the field at a variety of spatial and temporal scales that match the scales of the processes themselves. Another advantage lies in the growing length of the time series of ocean-colour-derived products, enabiling investigations into any long-term changes, if present. This paper presents an overview of the principles and applications of ocean-colour data. The concentration of chlorophyll-a, the major pigment present in phytoplankton–single-celled, free-floating plants that are present in the sunlit layers of the ocean–was the first, and remains the most common, biological variable derived from ocean-colour data. Over the years, the list of ocean-colour products have grown to encompass many measures of the marine ecosystem and its functions, including primary production, phenology and ecosystem structure. Applications that exploit the data are many and varied, and include ecosystem-based fisheries management, biogeochemical cycles in the ocean, ecosystem health and climate change. An integrated approach, incorporating other modes of ocean observations and models with satellite observations, is needed to investigate the mysteries of the marine ecosystem.

来自太空的可见光谱辐射测量，通常称为海洋颜色测量，提供了有关海洋生物群以及生物和生态系统过程的丰富信息流。用于观察海洋生物的海洋颜色技术的优势在于其全球覆盖范围，以及在与过程本身的尺度相匹配的各种空间和时间尺度上对现场进行采样的能力。另一个优势在于海洋颜色衍生产品的时间序列越来越长，可以对任何长期变化（如果存在）进行调查。本文概述了海洋颜色数据的原理和应用。叶绿素-a 的浓度是浮游植物（存在于阳光照射的海洋层中的单细胞、自由漂浮的植物）中存在的主要色素，是第一个、也是最常见的源自海洋颜色的生物变量。数据。多年来，海洋色彩产品的清单不断扩大，涵盖了海洋生态系统及其功能的许多衡量标准，包括初级生产、物候和生态系统结构。利用这些数据的应用多种多样，包括基于生态系统的渔业管理、海洋生物地球化学循环、生态系统健康和气候变化。需要一种综合方法，将其他海洋观测模式和模型与卫星观测结合起来，以调查海洋生态系统的奥秘。