The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Air Resources Laboratory (ARL) deployed the NOAA Twin Otter aircraft in Tampa during May, 2002 in support of the Bay Region Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (BRACE). BRACE is an ongoing research and monitoring program whose goal is to better quantify the magnitude of atmospheric deposition of reactive and reduced nitrogen compounds to the Tampa Bay watershed.

BRACE is a collaborative research effort involving scientists from county, state, and federal agencies, universities, and private contractors. The 5-year program operates a number of ground sites for the long-term measurement of air quality, and comprises two intensive observational periods (IOPs) during which time additional measurements are made on a more frequent basis. The first of these IOPs occurred in May 2002.

An overview of results from the NOAA Twin Otter will be presented. Specific findings on the rates and efficiencies of ozone production; the distribution and chemical production and loss of reactive nitrogen compounds; the role of coastal meteorology; and the contribution of mobile and point sources will be discussed.