Satellite Oceanography and Climatology Division (SOCD)

The Satellite Oceanography and Climatology Division (SOCD) provides the research and development of remote sensing data on the world's oceans, and calibrates instruments, verifies the data, and creates products to meet the needs of users for satellite data and other information on the oceans.

The three branches of the Division (Ocean Sensors, Ocean Physics, and Marine Ecosystems), and the Science Teams do research in observing sea surface temperature, sea surface winds, sea surface height, ocean color, sea ice, and sea surface roughness. The Teams then transfer the results of their research into operational practice.

The Division transforms satellite data into high-quality, state-of-the-art products and information on the oceans. Examples include using ocean color to locate and identify harmful algal blooms ('red tides'); observing the roughness of the sea-surface for locating sea ice and its extent; measuring ocean surface winds in support of weather forecasts; and analyzing sea surface temperature and sea surface height for hurricane predictions. Ocean data and products are available from the Division's NOAA CoastWatch, NOAA OceanWatch, and NOAA Coral Reef Watch. The Division's activities and goals are cross-cutting, supporting all the NOAA Mission Goals.