The objective is to collect data for construction of bio-optical models for coastal waters, snow-ice optical property models, surface albedo models, and aerosol optical property models, and to use these models in radiative transfer models (RTMs) for coupl ed atmosphere-surface systems. These RTMs will then be employed to develop improved satellite remote sensing tools for simultaneous and accurate retrieval of atmosphere and surface parameters that can be used to retrieve important information about the Ea rth System for inclusion in and improvement of Earth System Models (ESMs). Snow and ice covered surfaces are areas at which early signs of climate change occur, and therefore important for inclusion in and improvement of ESMs. Reliable satellite monitorin g of highly productive aquatic ecosystems is currently lacking, and tools to provide such monitoring will be important for obtaining improved ESMs that can aid decision makers in their efforts to facilitate the adaptation of ecosystems to climate change, and to mitigate negative impacts on managed and natural terrestrial, coastal-water, and freshwater ecosystems. The accuracy and consistency of combining atmosphere-surface radiative coupling with simultaneous retrieval of atmosphere-surface parameters fro m all available satellite data, as proposed in this project, will constitute the basis for future research, both in atmosphere-surface remote sensing and climate change studies. The validity of this approach in remote sensing of coastal waters will be tes ted against ground truth measurements.