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Title: Remote sensing of oceanic biology in relation to global climate change

Journal Article · · Journal of Phycology; (United States)
; ;  [1]
  1. Natural Environmental Research Council, Plymouth (United Kingdom)

The oceans have a fundamental role in the global climate system because of their capacity to store and transport heat and absorb and emit trace gases which affect the earth's radiation budget. Although good progress has been made with issues such as carbon and sulfur cycling, feedback responses related to the impact of climate change on biological systems, and links between plankton ecology and climate, there is a lack of information on the distributions of biological properties on a global scale. This article reviews the potential contribution of ocean color measurements for biological studies within the context of climate change. The remote sensing of oceanic phytoplankton from satellites measuring radiance at visible and near infrared wavelenghts has produced a wealth of new information on biomass distributions and has provided a basis for new approaches to estimation of global marine primary productivity.

OSTI ID:
6718246
Journal Information:
Journal of Phycology; (United States), Vol. 28:5; ISSN 0022-3646
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English