Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS): NOAA's Proving Ground Initiative on Oceans and Coasts.

The JPSS Proving Ground and Risk Reduction (PGRR) program supports user demonstration by stimulating interactions between technical experts from the JPSS Program, university partners, and key user stakeholders. The PGRR program’s primary objective is maximizing the benefits and performance of S-NPP and JPSS data, algorithms, and products for downstream operational and research users. The PGRR Program projects are grouped into initiatives, one of which is the Oceans and Coasts initiative. The JPSS PGRR Oceans and Coasts initiative focuses on the following NOAA service areas: Modeling and Forecasting Physical & Biological Ocean and Coastal Dynamics, Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs), Water Quality, and Ecological Forecasting, Living Marine Resources, and Ocean Acidification and Air Quality. This Initiative supports use of ocean data and derived products to include: VIIRS Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and Ocean Color Radiometry (OCR) and other observations to advance NWS, NMFS, NOS, and OAR mission applications. In particular, users have identified needs for multi-sensor data sets, long-term time series datasets and higher level, value-added products for both near real-time and long-term time series to support a broad range of scales from small local watersheds to ocean basins. Members of this initiative work to improve upon and develop methods to create multi-sensor products and extend existing products such as SST to higher latitudes and gap filling products exploiting neural networks. Additionally they create data portals so that data is discoverable and in multiple formats for ease of use. Finally they develop tools for forecast and assessments using the Real-time Ocean Forecast System. Users of this initiative include Fisheries Science Centers and Regional Offices and National Ocean Services (NOS) Operational Forecast Systems users, US Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS), researchers at universities and international users. We also work with the NMFS and NESDIS, as well as the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program.