###### Abstract  
The maximum cross-coefficient (MCC) algorithm based on the template matching technique is a typical algorithm for obtaining the sea-surface currents (SSCs) in marginal seas. However, this algorithm has mismatches between images in highly turbid water. In this study, we implemented the MCC algorithm to Geostationary Ocean Color Imager-derived total suspended matter to obtain the SSCs in the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea. We propose a novel vector optimization algorithm, which is combined with the accurate estimate of tidal ellipses from the OSU tidal model. This method considers the three greatest candidate acquisitions from multi-correlation coefficients as potential vectors. The rotation direction of the vector within the tidal oscillation is used to identify and substitute for the spurious vector. The obtained average speed of SSC reached 0.60 m/s, which was close to the buoy-measured average speed of 0.58 m/s. Compared with the existing spurious vector eliminating method, the average angular error was improved by 20%, and the average relative amplitude error was improved by 4% in our case study. On the basis of ensuring data integrity, the inversion accuracy was improved. e 22 June 2022  
19 September 20221  
Different types of satellite remote sensing technologies have allowed many practical methods for monitoring SSCs. Among them, two have been most widely used: one is an algorithm based on the heat flow or tracer conservation equation [14; 15; 16], and the other is an algorithm based on the tracer feature (i.e., the maximum cross-correlation algorithm, MCC) [17; 18; 19; 20]. After [PERSON] et al. [18] proposed that the MCC algorithm can be used to estimate the SSC field, many scholars have successfully inverted the SSC field in different sea areas by using thermal infrared remote sensing images [11; 19; 21] or water color remote sensing images on the basis of their algorithm [10; 22]. Furthermore, recent studies have shown that water color data can better track the movement of water masses [8]. [PERSON] et al. [23] used the Himawari-8 data to estimate the coastal currents in Hangzhou Bay using the generalized Hough transform (GHT) method and the MCC method, respectively. The results showed that the Himawari-8 data can be used to effectively estimate the currents, and the error in the current measured using the GHT method is smaller than MCC method in the Yangtze estuary and offshore areas. [PERSON] et al. [24] used the MCC method and robust optical flow method to process GOCI images for quantifying high-resolution, near real-time SSCs and current features. [PERSON] et al. [10] showed that the MCC method can be applied to GOCI-derived total suspended matter (TSM) and chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) to estimate the fast tidal currents along the west coast of Korea. [PERSON] et al. [25] used Level-1B data measured by the GOCI to identify ice pixels in the northernmost part of the Bohai Sea (Liaodong Bay), and then used the MCC method to estimate ice drift. [PERSON] et al. [4] applied the MCC method to Rayleigh-corrected reflectance from the GOCI measurements to derive SSCs along the Zhejiang coast of the East China Sea, but they did not provide validation results. Although these studies have shown that the use of the GOCI data and the MCC algorithm can better invert the variation characteristics of the SSC field in the target area, there are still some spurious currents in these inversion results. The MCC method has been applied to improve the accuracy of GOCI-derived SSCs in recent studies. [PERSON] et al. [26] used the MCC method to invert the SSCs in the East China Sea and then proposed a current field vector data-processing method based on angular limitation. The average angular error (AAE) value of the processed SSC field data decreased by 28-38%. [PERSON] et al.