Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership (S-NPP) Satellite Data and its use in Forecasting Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)

Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Bulletins from the Harmful Algal Bloom Operational Forecast System (HAB-OFS) provide critical information for residents of states along the Gulf of Mexico on dangerous conditions. HABs can be caused by a variety of microorganisms, but the most abundant are the Karenia brevis blooms, which are more commonly known as the red tide. Red tides and other HABs can present a danger to coastal residents by producing toxins that are harmful to fish and humans if ingested via contaminated water or seafood, or inhaled in aerosol form from oceanic winds. Forecasters use many sources of information to produce bulletins for public safety. A common tool is Ocean Color/Chlorophyll (OCC) products from sensors onboard polar orbiting satellites, such as the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) onboard the Suomi-NPP (National Polar Orbiting Partnership) satellite.

The process from the satellite creating a Sensor Data Record (SDR) from Earth's outgoing radiation, to an operational product such as the HAB Bulletins can be very long. This poster will describe the complicated process data from the Suomi-NPP satellite will go through to become a HAB Bulletin available for coastal users.