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Background

NASA's Ocean Biology Processing Group (OBPG) is responsible for producing ocean color products from the Ocean and Land Colour Instrument (OLCI) on Sentinel-3 A/B that are available through the Ocean Biology DAAC (OB.DAAC). They include Level-2 (300 m resolution) and Level-3 (global 1.2 km resolution), as derived using standard NASA ocean color algorithms and the NASA vicarious calibration approach to minimize bias between OLCI products and the standard ocean color time-series derived from Sea-viewing Wide Field of View Sensor (SeaWIFS), Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), and Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instruments. 

The datasets were reprocessed in 2022 to further improve the quality and consistency of the OLCI products (additional information is available on Sentinel-3A and Sentinel-3B reprocessing). The Level-2 and Level-3 processing capability is also distributed as open source software through the Sea, earth, atmosphere Data Analysis System (SeaDAS) software package. 

These products are used by agencies including NASA, NOAA, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), USGS, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), as well as various state agencies, for applications such as assessment of water quality, detection of harmful algal blooms in coastal and inland waters, management of fisheries and aquaculture health, and detection of macroalgae with consideration for its impact on coastal tourism. These products are also used by the Cyanobacteria Assessment Network (CyAN).

Status

The solution has been completed with data available through OB.DAAC.

Solution Characteristics

PlatformsTemporal FrequencyHorizontal ResolutionGeographic DomainVertical ResolutionLatencySpectral BandsThematic Areas
Sentinel-3 A, Sentinel-3 BDaily300 mGlobal 300 m< 24 hoursVisible (VIS), Near Infrared (NIR), Short-wave Infrared (SWIR)Ocean and Cryosphere, Water and Energy Cycle

Societal Impact

Ocean color data provides crucial insights into marine ecosystems and the effects of ocean acidification. This Satellite Needs Working Group (SNWG) activity supports the monitoring and management of coastal water quality and marine protected areas, providing essential information used to protect human and ecosystem health and for aquatic ecosystem modeling.​

Solution Resources

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