The till that comprises the coastal cliffs at Holderness is being eroded and transported southwards by waves and currents within the nearshore zone. As a first step towards estimating the magnitude of this movement, airborne multispectral scanner data were collected. The spectral radiance ( Lλ ) recorded by this sensor was positively correlated with the suspended sediment concentration ( SSC) at the 95 percent confidence level. However, when the relationships between SSC and Lλwere inverted for the estimation of SSC, errors of the order of 343-494 percent were observed. It is recommended that for future studies there is a need to reduce the errors consequent upon the areal, vertical and temporal variability in SSC, the problems of inversion and the presence of white-caps.