Shubha Sathyendranath

Improved Tracking of Research Cruises

Every year, several hundred ocean research cruises are conducted by academic institutions and government agencies worldwide, with major expenditures of finances and human resources. Ships may be in the same ocean area at the same time without prior knowledge of one anothers activities, missing opportunities for joint work. Some ships go to sea with empty berths, which might have been filled if scientists from other institutions or countries had known about the availability of space. Many scientists using in situ instruments have missed opportunities to deploy them in seldom visited parts of the ocean because the scientists did not realize a ship was going to that area, and opportunities for ”sea truthing“ of satellite observations in remote regions are missed. In an era of stagnant or shrinking budgets for research and ship operations, and increasing operational costs, it is imperative that scientists and ship operators look for ways to increase the efficiency of research cruises, for example, by reducing transit time and sharing research cruises. In addition, synergy of observations and opportunities for intercalibrations can be achieved in coordinated, multiple-ship operations.

The ANTARES observation network

The ANTARES network seeks to understand the variability of the coastal environment on a continental scale and the local, regional, and global factors and processes that effect this change. The focus are coastal zones of South America and the Caribbean Sea. The initial approach includes developing time series of in situ and satellite-based environmental observations in coastal and oceanic regions. The network is constituted by experts that seek to exchange ideas, develop an infrastructure for mutual logistical and knowledge support, and link in situ time series of observations located around the Americas with real-time and historical satellite-derived time series of relevant products. A major objective is to generate information that will be distributed publicly and openly in the service of coastal ocean research, resource management, science-based policy making and education in the Americas. As a first stage, the network has linked oceanographic time series located in Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Venezuela. The group has also developed an online tool to examine satellite data collected with sensors such as NASAs MODIS. Specifically, continental-scale high-resolution (1 km) maps of chlorophyll and of sea surface temperature are generated and served daily over the web according to specifications of users within the ANTARES network. Other satellite-derived variables will be added as support for the network is solidified. ANTARES serves data and offers simple analysis tools that anyone can use with the ultimate goal of improving coastal assessments, management and policies.