Different spectral signatures of coastal waters are presented and analysed with respect to possible improvements of the CZCS algorithms. When adjusted to the prevalling oceanographic conditions. algorithms can be improved in different ways: by adjustment of the coefficients in the ratio algorithms, by use of the amplitude of reflectance, or by adjustment of the method for the aerosol correction. It is shown that the combined use of ratio and amplitude of reflectance in a sediment algorithm can be used to distinguish between offshore upwellings and turid near shore costal water. The processing of CZCS scenes illustrates the importnce of ocean color imagery in various aspects of oceaography: fundamental biology and transport of coastal pollutants.