Launched in june 2011, NASA s aquarius/SAC-d satellite mission was specifically designed to measure monthly how earth s seawater salinity varies at the ocean s surface. The surface moisture active…

This federal contract award from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was granted to Odysea LLC, a woman-owned small business. The $688,160 grant supports the Ocean Science Salinity Team (OSST) in their efforts to effectively communicate the research and findings from NASA's Aquarius/SAC-D and Surface Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite missions, which have provided key data on ocean surface salinity and its impact on Earth's climate. The grant aims to develop engaging, media-rich tools and activities to help non-scientists understand the implications of ocean change. Odysea LLC has previously supported NASA's physical oceanography research through prime contracts and grants, including work on ocean circulation modeling and relevance/engagement efforts. No set-aside designation was used for this award.

Launched in june 2011, NASA s aquarius/SAC-d satellite mission was specifically designed to measure monthly how earth s seawater salinity varies at the ocean s surface. The surface moisture active passive (smap) mission, launched about four months before the aquarius data acquisition ended, continues NASA s legacy of salinity retrievals. The data acquired by these missions has provided key information regarding how climatic variation affects the ocean and, perhaps more important, how the ocean change impacts earth s climate. The primary goal of this proposal is to provide support for the ocean science salinity team (osst) through effective public communication of their efforts. This will be accomplished through ready access to and, when needed, creation of engaging mediarich, data-driven tools, models, and activities that allow non-scientists to see the implications of ocean change on the environment. Leveraging the infrastructure and thematic approach developed for the aquarius mission, the proposed communication objectives align with osst topics as follows: 1. Demonstrate clear linkages among ocean surface salinity variability, ocean circulation, earth s water cycle, and climate; 2. Highlight the synergistic value of NASA ocean surface salinity data in the broader context of other satellite and in situ measurements; 3. Provide insights into salinity variations within the upper water column in terms of environmental processes along with associated implications for "ground truthing" satellite-derived salinity data; and 4. Share the processes used to retrieve and refine salinity derived from satellite and other methods, including the ongoing efforts to improve data accuracy and consistency. The proposal team has the requisite expertise to accomplish all stated goals and objectives in support of the osst s communication efforts. Each team member has demonstrated his/her commitment to broad communication of NASA salinity science and engineering content during the aquarius mission. For this project, aquarius PI gary lagerloef (ESR) and deputy PI david LE vine (gsfc) will provide high-level scientific oversight for newly developed communication materials. Representing the physical oceanography distributed active archive center (PO.daac), jorge vazquez and vardis tsontos will ensure that satellite-derived salinity data and information are presented in the context of NASA s broader oceanographic efforts. As a leader in the data calibration/validation efforts for smap salinity retrievals, shannon brown (JPL) will ensure that the publicly disseminated data products and descriptions will be accurate and timely.