The NASA Ocean Biology Processing Group: Satellite-based Remote Sensing of the Ocean

The Ocean Biology Processing Group (OBPG) at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is a premier data processing and distribution center for satellite-based remote sensing ocean data products. Although the primary focus is on Ocean Color, the OBPG also supports Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and Sea Surface Salinity (SSS) data products. For Ocean Color, the primary parameter of interest is chlorophyll-a, with growing interest in inherent optical properties (IOPs). Ocean color is a key input for multiple activities that provide major societal benefits, such as research on atmospheric carbon sequestration, marine fisheries management, and detection of harmful algal blooms. The OBPG has served as the production, archive and distribution center for every NASA ocean color sensor and also supports partnerships with international space agencies for their missions and sensors. SST is one of the longest satellite-based climate data records, and is perhaps the clearest indicator of long-term climate change; the OBPG supports SST production from multiple NASA sensors. Finally, the OBPG functioned as the data processing center for Aquarius, the first satellite-based SSS sensor. SSS is a key parameter for understanding ocean circulation and energy transfer between the ocean and atmosphere, and is therefore critical for long-term climate modeling.