Since the launch of the coastal zone color scanner (CZCS) in the 1970s, it has been a long-standing goal to adequately monitor parameters associated with the coastal ecosystem from satellite platforms. From that, many ocean-color satellites, as well as the Landsat satellite series, have been put into space, but have we reached the goal? In this presentation, we will present the current status related to the remote sensing of coastal aquatic environments and discuss obstacles that we must overcome in the coming years, so that data from satellite remote sensing can really help the management of this important water body and improve the sciences on the optical and biogeochemical properties of this natural environment.