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Satellite Sea Surface Temperatures for Sea Nettle Project

Sea-surface temperatures (SST) used in the sea nettle forecasting project are processed and distributed by the NOAA CoastWatch Program. A weekly sea surface temperature composite is created from daily images of the Bay. Daily images are derived from data collected by the NOAA Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR). The AVHRR sensor is carried on board the NOAA series of Polar-Orbiting Operational Environmental Satellites. AVHRR data are acquired with a wide-field scanning system that enables global coverage on a daily basis with a ground resolution of 1.1 km at nadir (directly beneath the satellite). The sensor also provides a data stream of nominal 4-km resolution that is achieved by sampling and averaging the full resolution 1.1-km data on board the satellite. In addition to estimating sea surface temperature, AVHRR data are used to study clouds, land-water boundaries, snow and ice extent, ice or snow melt inception, day and night cloud distribution, and temperatures of radiating surfaces. The AVHRR data collection effort also provides opportunities for examining and monitoring vegetation conditions in several ecosystems and has application in agricultural assessment, land cover mapping, production of large-area image maps and evaluation of regional and continental snow cover.