Carr¹, Mary-Elena, and David A. Siegel²

¹Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, MS 300-323, 4800 Oak Grove Dr., California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, 91109-8099, USA, Tel: 818-354-5097, Fax: 818-393-6720, E-mail: mec@pacific.jpl.nasa.gov and ²Institute for Computational Earth System Science, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93015-3060, USA

Remote sensing tools to study ocean biogeochemistry: the state of the art during the JGOFS era

We present a synthesis of the various ways in which remote sensing technologies were used to address ocean biogeochemistry during the JGOFS decade. Remote sensing of the world ocean enables extraordinary spatio-temporal coverage and consistency of methodology, tantalizing us with an unprecedented view of the world ocean. However, satellite oceanography is limited by what can be measured remotely, the depth of penetration of the measurement, the spatial resolution afforded by sensors and the need often for clear skies. Specifically, many of the key pools and fluxes for ocean biogeochemistry are not immediately obtainable from space and creative and careful use of existing measurements is required. Here, we present an overview of available remote sensing tools and approaches to quantify the oceanic carbon cycle, including air-sea CO² fluxes, primary production, export production, and the partition into different pools, such as particulate organic carbon (POC) or colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM). We also discuss advances in the use of remote sensing techniques to identify aspects of pelagic community structure and to assess rates of nitrogen fixation and calcification.