Data Set Citation:
When using this data, please cite the data package:
NCEAS 7600: Halpern: Implications for reserve design (Hosted by NCEAS) , NASA SeaWiFS Project , National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis , Halpern B , and Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC).
Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS)
bowdish.216.6 (http://knb.ecoinformatics.org/knb/metacat/bowdish.216.6/nceas)
General Information:
Title:Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS)
Identifier:bowdish.216
Abstract:
Subtle changes in ocean color signify various types and quantities of marine phytoplankton (microscopic marine plants), the knowledge of which has both scientific and practical applications. It became apparent to the oceanographic community that because of the dynamic nature of the world's oceans and climate, and the importance of the ocean's role in global change, a follow-on sensor to the Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS) should be flown. From a scientific perspective, obtaining ocean color data from space in the early 1990s is a high priority goal that has been recognized in reports of the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences. The SeaWiFS Project was designated to develop and operate a research data system to gather, process, archive, and distribute data received from an ocean color sensor. The principal objective has been to acquire data that are critical for the study of the role of oceans, including the exchange of critical elements andgases between the atmosphere and ocean, and how these exchanges affect phytoplankton production. (SeaWiFS Projcet - Detailed Description: http://oceancolor.gsfc.nasa.gov/SeaWiFS/BACKGROUND/SEAWIFS_970_BROCHURE.html, Accessed May 30, 2006) For information on how this data set was used please see, Supporting Online Material for Strong Top-down control in Southern California Kelp Forest Ecosystems, Benjamin S. Halpern, Karl Cottenie, Bernardo R. Broitman, http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/312/5777/1230/DC1, Accessed 30 May 2006 and Published 26 May 2006, Science 312, 1230 (2006) DOI: 10.1126/science.1128613
Keywords:
  • Kelp
  • Channel Islands National Park
  • Kelp Forest
  • Marine Habitat
  • Fish

Involved Parties

Data Set Creators:
Organization:NCEAS 7600: Halpern: Implications for reserve design (Hosted by NCEAS)
Organization:NASA SeaWiFS Project
Phone:
(301) 286-9494 (voice)
Email Address:
license@seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov
Organization:National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis
Individual: Ben Halpern
Organization:NCEAS
Email Address:
halpern@nceas.ucsb.edu
Organization:Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC)
Email Address:
web-curator-disc@listserv.gsfc.nasa.gov
Data Set Contacts:
Organization:NASA SeaWiFS Project
Phone:
(301) 286-9494 (voice)
Email Address:
license@seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov
Individual: Ben Halpern
Organization:NCEAS
Email Address:
halpern@nceas.ucsb.edu

Data Set Characteristics

Sampling, Processing and Quality Control Methods

Step by Step Procedures
Step 1:  
Description:

Project Overview

The success of the SeaWiFS mission is determined by the quality of the ocean color data and their availability. Inherent in any space flight mission for scientific applications are Project elements that assure this success. The OV-2 satellite broadcasts SeaWiFS data in real time to the GSFC High-Resolution Picture Transmission (HRPT) station, as well as to other stations, and recorded data--Global Area Coverage (GAC) and Local Area Coverage (LAC)--to GSFC, WallopsFlight Facility (WFF), and ORBIMAGE. These HRPT, GAC, and LAC data are then transferred to the SeaWiFS Data Processing System (SDPS). The SDPS comprises a number of elements: namely, SeaWiFS data processing; calibration, validation, and data quality; data capture; and GSFC mission operations.

Data Set Usage Rights

The SeaWiFS mission has been made affordable and timely because of its unique private vendor, data purchase structure. As part of the contract between NASA (Natioanl Aeronautics and Space Administration) and OSC (Orbital Science Corporation), NASA retains all rights to data for research purposes, and ORBIMAGE retains all rights for commercial and operational purposes. The selection of authorized research users has been based on a submission of a brief proposal to NASA. (Proposal information http://oceancolor.gsfc.nasa.gov/SeaWiFS/LICENSE/checklist.html accessed May 30, 2006)
Access Control:
Auth System:knb
Order:denyFirst
Metadata download: Ecological Metadata Language (EML) File