HIGP Remote Sensing Support for Ocean-related Science

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HIGP Remote Sensing Support for Ocean-related
Science

• Global assessment of coral reef health
• SOEST collaborators
• Marlin Atkinson, HIMB
• Eric Hochberg, HIMB
• Paul Lucey, HIGP
• Jeff Gillis, HIGP
• Luke Flynn, HIGP
• Funding (2000-2007) 3.3M NASA, ONR
• Quantifying groundwater discharge using thermal
  IR remote sensing
• SOEST collaborators
• Craig Glenn, GG
• Paul Lucey, HIGP
• Jeff Gillis, HIGP

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Groundwater Discharge

• Submarine groundwater discharge is detected using
  cold water thermal signature
• Fluxes based on correlations of temperature and
  nutrient flow enable estimates of total
  groundwater discharge and coastal nutrient input
  using thermal IR surveys

Cold water runoff detected using precise (ltlt1
degree) thermal imaging using HIGP airborne
thermal imaging sensors
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Global Assessment of Coral Reef Health

• Atkinson and Hochberg (HIMB) discovered that
  living corals have a unique spectral signature
  that can be mapped using airborne hyperspectral
  images
• This technique can be used from space to measure
  the abundance and distribution of all living
  coral on Earth
• Current status is a collaboration between HIGP,
  HSFL, HIMB and NASA Ames Research Center to fly a
  hyperspectral sensor on HSFL launch 2
• Funding targets
• Castle Foundation (March 1)
• Google (pursuant to Castle outcome)
• NASA SALMON Program (Standalone Missions of
  Opportunity) (July 1)

U.S. V. I.
Airborne Color
Live Coral
Coral v Algae Spectra