Welcome to the Ocean Ecology Research Web Site
Ocean Ecology conducts research on ocean ecosystems and the interactions between Earth's chemical cycles and life. The also manages “ocean color” data from NASA satellite sensors. Sediment, dissolved chemicals, and marine microorganisms called phytoplankton affect the colors of sunlight reflected off the ocean, providing a way to monitor ocean ecosystems from orbit.
The staff works to ensure the accuracy of ocean-color data and make it available to users across the world. Scientists use the data to study fundamental issues such as the global distribution of phytoplankton, the storage of carbon in the ocean, and the role of the oceans in climate change. Personnel also participate in research cruises in collaboration with other researchers funded by NASA and assist NASA Headquarters in developing future earth-observing missions.
GEO-CAPE
GEO-CAPE Chesapeake Bay Oceanographic campaign with DISCOVER AQ (CBODAQ)
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The NASA P3B airplane equipped with instrumentation to measure aerosol and trace gas concentrations can be seen conducting spirals over the NOAA SRVx ship. Just to the right of the airplane are 3 sensors (1. Pandora for measuring atmospheric aerosol and trace gas constituents such as ozone and nitrogen dioxide, 2. a UV-Vis-NIR solar reference for an in-water profiling radiometer and 3. UV-Vis-NIR solar reference cluster with shadow band for an in-water profiling radiometer ; C-OPS).
NASA HQ supported an oceanographic field campaign in Chesapeake Bay this summer to coincide with the NASA DISCOVER AQ (Deriving Information on Surface Conditions from COlumn and VERtically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality) EV-1 project managed by LARC and GSFC. Read more...
Ocean Ecology Science Highlight
March-April 2011 McMurdo-Punta Arenas Cruise
The primary objective of the participation of NASA’s Ocean Ecology in the Climate Variability and Predictability program (CLIVAR) was to collect biogeochemical data for ‘ground-truthing’ data products obtained from NASA Ocean Color Satellites, both current and future. The cruise began at McMurdo Station, Antarctica on February 20, 2011 and traveled westward ending in Punta Arenas Chile on April 23, 2011. The following samples were collected from both the uncontaminated seawater system of the R/V Nathaniel B Palmer (the icebreaker seen above) and/or from the CTD rosette when water was available: phytoplankton pigments, absorption of particulate organic matter (Ap), suspended particulate matter (SPM), particulate organic carbon (POC), chromophoric dissolved organic matter (aCDOM) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). CDOM samples were collected for a collaborator, Norm Nelson of the University of California, Santa Barbara, who has participated in previous field campaigns within the CLIVAR program. CLIVAR website (leaving NASA)
Cruise Path from MODIS
The Aqua-MODIS image collected on March 15, 2011 highlights the difficulty faced by oceanographers who wish to match data collected at sea level in the Southern Ocean with ocean color data collected from orbit. This is a cloudy part of the world. The above image is typical of the satellite imagery collected during the cruise. At the time the above image was collected, the ship was just west of one of the rare large openings in the cloud cover.
With clouds sometimes also come winds. Click on the above image to see that the Palmer has been subject to winds in excess of 30 knots already on several occasions. This also makes sea-level oceanographic measurements difficult.
Cruise Blogs:
- Aimee Neeley (new window - leaving NASA)
- Jaun Botella (new window - leaving NASA)
Ocean Ecology Research News
- Cruising the Chesapeake for Water and Air Quality
A NASA-led team of scientists took to the Chesapeake Bay this summer to study a diverse yet close-to-home ecosystem in a field campaign that will help the agency determine how to study ocean health and air quality in coastal regions from space. - Team Participation at Calibration Training
two Ocean Ecology staff members participated in a NASA-sponsored summer course conducted at the University of Maine's Ira C. Darling Marine Center.
Overview
Flight Projects
- Aquarius (new window)
- Ocean Color(new window)
- SeaWiFS (new window)
Data
- Aquarius Ground (new window)
- MODIS Ocean (new window)
- Ocean Color (new window)
Contact Us
Questions or Comments
General inquiries about the scientific programs at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center may be directed to the Center Public Affairs office at 1.301.286.8955
> PAO's Questions and Comments Page