The research proposed here will advance understanding of global ocean phytoplankton standing stocks and physiology and how these key properties vary with climate forcings. The focal satellite remote…

This is a $481,776 grant awarded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to Oregon State University on June 20, 2018. The grant is for a research project to advance the understanding of global ocean phytoplankton through the use of satellite remote sensing data from the MODIS-Aqua and CALIOP sensors. The research aims to improve the parameterization of ocean color inversion algorithms to generate global fields of particulate backscatter and absorption coefficients, which will then be interpreted in terms of phytoplankton chlorophyll and carbon biomass. The results will be used to re-evaluate temporal anomalies in the MODIS Aqua chlorophyll record and extend the analysis to the SeaWiFS and VIIRS ocean color records to understand the relationship between ocean ecosystems and climate variability. This grant is a continuation of a previous successful project funded under NASA's ROSES-2013 program. The grant does not have a set-aside designation.

The research proposed here will advance understanding of global ocean phytoplankton standing stocks and physiology and how these key properties vary with climate forcings. The focal satellite remote sensing data used during this investigation will be from the modis-aqua sensor and the cloud-aerosol lidar with orthogonal polarization (caliop) sensor. This project thus represents the first merger of global ocean passive and active data to produce improved products of ocean inherent optical properties (iops). Caliop data will be used in conjunction with modis-aqua data to improve at coarse spatial and temporal resolution the parameterization of an ocean color inversion algorithm. The resultant optimized algorithm will then be applied to generate 8-day, level 3 resolution global fields of particulate backscatter coefficients (BBP) and absorption coefficients for phytoplankton pigments (APH) and non-algal particles and colored dissolved organic matter (ADG). These APH and BBP products will then be interpreted in terms of phytoplankton chlorophyll (CHL) and carbon biomass (cphyto), respectively. With these improved phytoplankton retrievals, we will RE-evaluate temporal anomalies in the modis aqua chlorophyll record in terms of light, nutrient, and biomass changes. We will then extend our analysis by applying our optimized algorithm to the seawifs and viirs ocean color records to further understand the relationship between ocean ecosystems and climate variability in the contemporary ocean to better inform understanding of potential future change. The research proposed here builds upon a very successful previous project funded under the roses-2013 the science of terra and aqua program. The current proposed project is low cost, potentially high impact, and responsive to element 2.1 science data analysis of the roses-2017 science of terra, aqua, and suomi NPP program.