Jan 08, 2010 • Goddard Space Flight Center, Glenn Dale, MD 20769, USA

A green ocean

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You might not think it, but NASA doesn’t just study distant stars and galaxies. It’s also keeping watch over our own planet.

NASA’s Gene Feldman adds, “Ultimately we’re measuring life on Earth. What can be more significant than monitoring the very life of this planet?”

Feldman uses satellites to monitor and study the oceans. And the work that he and his colleagues are doing has revolutionized our understanding of life on Earth. Have a listen.

[audio:https://coseenow.net/podcast//2010/01/og25.mp3]

 

Slideshow

Former Vice President Al Gore with SeaWiFS biosphere in lower right. Credit: Gene Feldman.

Global SeaWiFS biosphere data above the Americas. Credit: SeaWiFS Project/NASA.

Gene Feldman explaining his science to an audience. Credit: NASA/GSFC.

The global biosphere is a map of chlorophyll on land and in the ocean. Credit: SeaWiFS Project/NASA.

More Media

SeaWiFS biosphere data over the North Atlantic. Animation depicting nearly a decade's worth of SeaWiFS ocean chlorophyll concentration and land Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data. Animator: Alex Kekesi; Scientists: Gene Feldman and Michael Behrenfeld.

SeaWiFS biosphere data over the North Pacific. This animation begins by slowly spinning the earth around until settling over the North Pacific. Animators: Alex Kekesi and Lori Perkins; Scientists: Gene Feldman and Michael Behrenfeld.

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A green ocean

4 Comments

  1. Coloring the ocean green « ari daniel shapiro says:
    January 8, 2010 at 11:14 am

    […] What color would you paint the oceans on our planet? Blue? Try green. At least that’s what a NASA satellite 450 miles above our heads is telling us to do. Check out the new Ocean Gazing podcast. […]

  2. Liesl Hotaling says:
    January 13, 2010 at 11:45 am

    Thank you again Ari, great story. And thank you for providing the wonderful video links, a great classroom resource!
    Liesl

  3. Ari Daniel Shapiro says:
    January 13, 2010 at 6:24 pm

    Thanks, Liesl! Yes, those videos *are* fantastic. I was delighted that Gene Feldman let us upload them to YouTube and link to them.

  4. Sage Lichtenwalner says:
    May 30, 2010 at 3:17 pm

    Hi Ari, I just wanted to say what a great job you did editing this episode. The analogies, music and supporting clips are perfect for this “globally significant” subject. Thanks for taking us on a wonderful journey.

  5. Ari Daniel says:
    May 30, 2010 at 4:08 pm

    Thanks so much, Sage! Gene deserves most of the credit for this episode, since he so beautifully described the phenomena he studies and he was willing to provide a bunch of great visual metaphors. The hardest part was figuring out what to exclude!

A green ocean

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