Spectral and Environmental Network for Tropical INtegrated Examination and Live monitoring (SENTINEL)
This project aims to develop an easy-to-use, real-time system that integrates multi-scale imagery, water-quality sensing and predictive modelling to assess both ecosystem health and structural condition.
Monitoring of hybrid coastal solutions is often fragmented across spatial scales, observation platforms, and environmental datasets. SENTINEL integrates satellite and UAV imagery, fixed above- and underwater cameras, field sampling, and high-frequency water-quality sensing to cross-validate observations and generate higher-resolution environmental intelligence for assessing system health and performance. Through real-time data assimilation, these observations will be coupled with process-based modelling and deep learning to improve predictive accuracy, identify emerging vulnerabilities, and enable proactive risk management of hybrid coastal solutions.
Research Approach
- Automated satellite processing, scheduled UAV drone hyperspectral and LiDAR surveys, and fixed cameras will map vegetation health, sediment dynamics, water quality and structural change, with field sampling used for validation.
- Telemetered nutrient and optical sensors with anti-fouling measures will provide continuous in-water data, supported by regular water, sediment and biodiversity checks.
- Data assimilation will fuse observations with process-based hydrodynamic, water-quality and ecosystem models and deep learning to generate current health indices, risk maps, alerts and short-term scenarios.
Why This Matters
- Gives a timely view of ecological and structural performance.
- Provides earlier warning of vegetation stress, erosion, structural damage and deteriorating water quality.
- Supports faster responses during storms or pollution events and better-targeted maintenance afterwards.
- Enables scalable, predictive and adaptive stewardship of hybrid coastal protection.
Meet the Team
Meet the team behind the Spectral and Environmental Network for Tropical INtegrated Examination and Live monitoring (SENTINEL) project.
Principal Investigator (PI):
Professor Karina Gin
National University of Singapore,
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Design and Engineering
Download CFI's project booklet for more information on each project
CFI Singapore Tranche 1 and 2
If you wish to reach out regarding a specific project, please email CFI Singapore at cfisg@nus.edu.sg