Ocean and Coastal Dynamics

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CoastWatch/OceanWatch satellite data that are utilized for fisheries research and management include sea surface temperature, sea surface winds, ocean color and sea surface height.

Sea surface temperature is used to identify and evaluate habitat conditions for fisheries and aquaculture features as well as identify physical features such as fronts and upwelling zones where certain species are known to aggregate.

Ocean color is used to provide information about a variety of issues related to fisheries and aquaculture including phytoplankton biomass, harmful algal blooms and water clarity.

Ocean currents, ocean color and sea surface temperature are important for predicting the location of endangered species at risk for bycatch and fisheries relevant species.

Sea surface height is used in conjunction with sea surface temperature and chlorophyll to identify oceanographic features and processes of relevance to fisheries such as eddies and ENSO variability El Niño and La Niña.

Monitoring Sea Surface Winds and Sea Ice with Satellite Radar

Updated: September 23, 2021

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  Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) is an active radar satellite instrument that transmits microwave pulses that bounce off the Earth’s surface. The radar signals are then processed into imagery that can be used to derive several geographic and non-geographic features including: wind speeds, oil spills, sea ice and ship detection.

Great Lakes Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook

Updated: March 20, 2019

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  U.S. and Canadian Great Lakes agencies work together to document significant quarterly events, seasonal and yearly changes for the Great Lakes region and compile them into quarterly reports. NOAA Great Lakes CoastWatch data used in these bulletins includes Sea Surface Temperature, Synthetic Aperture Radar and real time marine data from buoys, coastal met stations, airports, and ships.

The Tongue of the Ocean

Updated: September 23, 2021

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  The Tongue of the Ocean is a deep water basin in the Bahamas that is surrounded to the east, west and south by a carbonate bank known as the Great Bahama Bank. The deep blue water of the Tongue is a stark contrast to the shallow turquoise waters of the surrounding Bank.

The Gulf of Mexico Loop Current

Updated: September 23, 2021

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  The Gulf of Mexico loop current brings warm Caribbean water northward between the Yucatan Peninsula and Cuba and into the Gulf. The current loops around the Gulf, flows southeastward into the Florida Strait where it serves as a parent to the Florida current and ultimately joins the Gulf Stream.