The development of algorithms for remote sensing of water quality (RSWQ) requires a large amount of in situ data to account for the bio-geo-optical diversity of inland and coastal waters. The GLObal Reflectance community dataset for Imaging and optical sensing of Aquatic environments (GLORIA) includes 7,572 curated hyperspectral remote sensing reflectance measurements at 1 nm intervals within the 350 to 900 nm wavelength range. In addition, at least one co-located water quality measurement of chlorophyll a, total suspended solids, absorption by dissolved substances, and Secchi depth, is provided. The data were contributed by researchers affiliated with 59 institutions worldwide and come from 450 different water bodies, making GLORIA the de-facto state of knowledge of in situ coastal and inland aquatic optical diversity. Each measurement is documented with comprehensive methodological details, allowing users to evaluate fitness-for-purpose, and providing a reference for practitioners planning similar measurements. We provide open and free access to this dataset with the goal of enabling scientific and technological advancement towards operational regional and global RSWQ monitoring.

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The ECO BB9, an instrument designed for characterizing the particulate backscattering coefficient (b bp ) of waters in situ, saturates frequently in water with high concentrations of particles. These water types are of increasing interest in water optics research due to the complexity of their contents and gaps in the knowledge of their interactions with the light field. Through serial dilutions, the concentrations of particles can be brought into the instrument range and linear extrapolation can be used to yield a prediction of b bp for the original undiluted solution. The efficacy of this simple approach is explored here using natural and synthetic waters in a controlled laboratory setting. b bp is a key inherent optical property used in validating and calibrating water quality parameters commonly estimated by remote sensing inversion algorithms. For this reason, the synthetic waters were constructed to test the method across water types characteristic of colored dissolved organic matter, non-algal particulates, and phytoplankton. The dilution method was evaluated by assessment of dilution series accuracy, precision, and constancy of the backscattering spectral slope. It was found to be effective with all water types in this paper.