Complete Ocean Watch Demonstration Live Access Server for On-line Browse
Capabilities of North Pacific Satellite Data

Current Status of Accomplishment or Milestone: Completed.

Background: Accurate and effective stock assessment and resource management require useful environmental products and indicators that characterize the environmental factors influencing the abundance, distribution, and productivity of marine fish populations.  One of the restrictions to developing and regularly updating useful indicators is the lack of a regular source of environmental data over the broad geographical range of these populations. The advent of a constellation of satellites carrying a variety of environmental sensors now provides daily or more frequent coverage of the US EEZ on scales of a few kilometers. However, routine, easy access to satellite data has not always been possible. The relocation of the West Coast node of Coastwatch to PFEL provides the opportunity to combine PFEL’s expertise in data dissemination with an expanded suite of Coastwatch derived satellite products.

Purpose of Activity/Goal of Project: To create and maintain at PFEL a Live Access Server (LAS) that will allow scientists to subset, visualize, and download North Pacific near real-time satellite data over the internet, for use in ecosystem based assessment and management of fisheries and marine mammals, ocean monitoring, and the management of protected resources. Within the National Virtual Ocean Data System, the LAS has been effectively used for several years in the delivery of on-line browse capabilities across a broad range of marine data types, and has been designated as an initial “pre-operational” component of the On-Line Browse capabilities of the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS). Indices are updated daily in cooperation with the West Coast node of Coastwatch.

Description of Accomplishment and Significant Results: The Ocean Watch LAS can be accessed at http://las.pfeg.noaa.gov/OceanWatch.html

Significance of Accomplishment (e.g., to the Center, to Management, and to NMFS Strategic plan Goals): The Ocean Watch LAS should assist in better resource and ecosystem management, thus building sustainable fisheries, and in assessing the effects of climate change on these resources.

Problems: None.

Key Contact: Lynn deWitt (831-648-9036, ldewitt@pfeg.noaa.gov)