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The NASA-managed Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) instrument settled into orbit around Earth in 1997 and took its first measurements of ocean color. A decade later, the satellite's data has proved instrumental in countless applications and helped researchers paint a picture of a changing climate. NASA recognized the satellite's tenth anniversary today with briefings at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.
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SeaWiFS Characterizes Cause of California Phytoplankton Bloom
The unusual timing of the annual phytoplankton bloom in the California Current System in 2005 has become less of a mystery as SeaWiFS data helped researchers tease out factors controlling the bloom, according to research published last month in the Journal of Geophysical Research – Oceans. Phytoplankton blooms are key indicators of ocean health, form the base of marine food webs, and absorb carbon dioxide – a major greenhouse gas – from Earth's atmosphere.
Contact:
Stephanie Henson
University of Maine
207-581-4333
Stephanie.henson@umit.maine.edu
SeaWiFS Eyes Florida's Coastal Water Quality
Researchers in Florida invented a way to use data from SeaWiFS to monitor Tampa Bay water quality almost daily, rather than monthly. Such information has direct application for resource managers devising restoration plans for coastal water ecosystems, and the method can be applied to coastal waters worldwide.
Contact:
Zhiqiang Chen
University of South Florida
zchen@marine.usf.edu
+ Coast Waters Portal Feature
SeaWiFS Helps Forecast Harmful Algal Blooms
SeaWiFS data can now help resource managers in Florida decide where to target sampling efforts when looking for outbreaks of red tide, a phenomenon brought about by a large bloom of a specific type of phytoplankton that produces a toxin absorbed by shellfish that can cause illness if consumed by humans. The harmful algal bloom forecasting system uses such data to provide advanced warning for managers of potential blooms in the Gulf of Mexico and other regions including the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Great Lakes, Southeast and West Coast.
Contact:
NOAA Coastal Services Center
843-740-1200
+ + Monitoring Harmful Algae + Links to Harmful Algal Bloom sites
SeaWiFS Aids Chesapeake Bay Monitoring Efforts
Scientists are using SeaWiFS data to monitor phytoplankton abundances in the Chesapeake Bay, as part of the Chesapeake Bay Monitoring Program. Tracking phytoplankton from space provides a more frequent and complete look at changes in the bay, the results of which act as a guide for management actions needed to maintain the Chesapeake's health.
Contact:
Jeremy Werdell
Goddard Space Flight Center
301-286-1440
Jeremy.werdell@nasa.govbr />