Aquatic color radiometry remote sensing of coastal and inland water bodies is of great interest to a wide variety of research, management, and commercial entities as well as the general public. However, most current satellite radiometers were primarily designed for observing the global ocean and not necessarily for observing coastal and inland waters. Therefore, deriving coastal and inland aquatic applications from existing sensors is challenging. We describe the current and desired state of the science and highlight unresolved issues in four fundamental elements of aquatic satellite remote sensing namely, mission capability, in situ observations, algorithm development, and operational capacity. We discuss solutions, future plans, and recommendations that directly affect the science and societal impact of future missions with capability for observing coastal and inland aquatic systems.