Investigate PACE #1
Description
https://pace.oceansciences.org/recentmapdata.htm
PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem)
- Launch: February 8, 2024 (NASA's newest ocean color mission)
- Primary Instrument: Ocean Color Instrument (OCI)
- Key Feature - Hyperspectral: OCI's optical spectrometer measures properties of light over portions of the electromagnetic spectrum and enables continuous measurements at finer resolutions than previous sensors
Key Differences with VIIRS
| Feature | PACE OCI | VIIRS |
|---|---|---|
| Spectral Range | Hyperspectral (continuous) | Multispectral (discrete bands) |
| Phytoplankton | Can identify species | Total chlorophyll only |
| Primary Mission | Ocean biology research | Operational Earth monitoring |
| Spatial Resolution | 1 km | 750m (ocean color bands) |
| Heritage | New technology | Successor to MODIS |
For South Australia, this is critical - you can now distinguish between:
- Harmless diatom blooms (common, support fisheries)
- Harmful algal blooms (HABs) like toxic cyanobacteria
- Red tide species (dinoflagellates)
Early Warning System
PACE enables prediction of the "boom-bust" cycle of fisheries and the appearance of harmful algae
- Detect harmful species before they become a visible problem
- Track bloom development stages
- Monitor toxin-producing species specifically