In partnership with NASA, Curtin University is enhancing ocean monitoring by deploying MarONet, a buoy off Perth’s coast, to improve satellite data accuracy. The project will help analyze ocean color and the impact of phytoplankton, key players in carbon capture and oxygen production.
Curtin University has partnered with NASA, the University of Miami, San José State University, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology on an advanced satellite mission to monitor ocean color from space. This mission aims to provide crucial data on ocean health and its impact on climate regulation.
As part of this initiative, researchers recently set up a 15-meter-tall buoy off the coast of Perth, Western Australia. This buoy supports NASA’s newly launched PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) satellite mission by helping to maintain data quality.
MarONet’s Role in Ground-Truthing Satellite Data
Professor David Antoine, head of Curtin’s Remote Sensing and Satellite Research Group (RSSRG) in the School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, explained that the new optical system, called MarONet (Marine Optical Network), located near Western Australia’s Rottnest Island, is essential for validating—or “ground-truthing”—the satellite observations from PACE.
“We typically think of the ocean’s color as blue, but in many places, it looks blue-green because those areas are teeming with single-celled plants called phytoplankton, which contain chlorophyll and absorb the blue light,” Professor Antoine said.
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Phytoplankton’s Role in Climate and Carbon Absorption
“Phytoplankton are tiny plants that, in addition to being a vital food source for all marine life, collectively produce more than half of the world’s oxygen and absorb almost as much carbon dioxide as all the trees and land plants on Earth.
“By measuring the color of the ocean with both satellites and sea-based sensors, we can study the enormous impact phytoplankton have on our climate and the potential of this tiny plant to help combat climate change.
“Sensors on the buoy capture and analyze colors within sunlight reflected from the ocean to measure algae levels. This data is sent to shore via the mobile network, where it then helps fine-tune the satellite sensors for more accurate ocean monitoring.”
Project lead engineer Andrew Gray, also from Curtin’s RSSRG, said the collaboration with NASA will help ensure the accuracy of data collected by its PACE satellite.
“MarONet will improve the accuracy of remote sensing data collected by NASA by comparing it with physical measurements taken at ground level,” Mr. Gray said.
MarONet’s Unique Calibration Environment
“The unique oceanic conditions and clear atmosphere at the MarONet buoy site near Rottnest make it ideal for accurate calibration.
“Curtin is proud to be a part of this important global initiative and looks forward to advancing our understanding of Earth’s oceans and climate.”
University of Miami Principal Investigator Professor Art Gleason said the MarONet buoy deployed off Perth complements NASA’s existing sea-based (MOBY) systems.
“There are sea-based sensors off Hawaii that have been operating for more than 20 years, allowing close coordination with the new buoy off Rottnest,” Professor Gleason said.
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