In February 2004, NASA Headquarters designated the Ocean Color Group at NASA/Goddard as the first prototype in their new Missions to Measurements strategy and accordingly, this group has assumed operational responsibility for the collection, processing and distribution of MODIS ocean color data. As a further move in this measurement-based strategy, the group has also been given the responsibility for NASA's ocean role in the upcoming National Polar-Orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) Preparatory Project (NPP) which is a joint mission involving the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) and the NPOESS Integrated Program Office (IPO). Finally, the group has most recently been given the responsibility for designing, implementing and operating the data processing and mission operations component of the recently launched ocean salinity mission called Aquarius, a space mission developed by NASA and the Space Agency of Argentina (Comision Nacional de Actividades Espaciales, CONAE).
The applications of satellite-derived ocean color data range from providing the information needed for a more accurate assessment of the role of the ocean in global change, for providing a key parameter in a number of ecological and environmental studies, and the color images of the Earth's changing land and ocean features will be of significant use in fisheries management, agriculture assessment and coastal zone monitoring. There is no question that the Earth is changing. SeaWiFS enables us for the first time to monitor the biological consequences of that change - to see how the things we do, and how natural variability, affect the Earth's ability to support life.
Prior to 1985, Gene's experience included extended service (3 1/2 years) as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Western Samoa, where among other things he was involved in fish farming, sea turtle conservation, boat building and village fisheries development. For much of his last year in Samoa, he had been living just outside of Apia, working mostly at the Fisheries Division on the FAO-sponsored Village Fisheries Development Project. During the earlier part of his stay, he had been working on a number of projects starting with a sea turtle conservation project down in Aleipata and then moving out to Savai'i to design and build an outboard engine repair workshop and then finally into the swamps of Vaitola with a bunch of shovels and a couple of his coworkers to dig six fishponds by hand for a baitfish culture project. It was time for something new. Part of this new development project involved working with a wonderful group of local Samoan carpenters, led by master wood carver Sven Ortquist (pictured at left keeping a close eye on me) building boats. Working with the FAO marine architect who designed the boats, these guys would turn out both an 18 and 28 foot version of an outboard-propelled fishing boat that would be purchased by fisherman from villages all around Samoa.
Another part of his job involved taking one of the boats and going from village to village with a few of the best fishermen from the Fisheries Division and spending a few days in each village demonstrating the boats and the different fishing techniques that they offered. Rather than just trolling for tuna or fishing in the relatively shallow, protected waters within the reef, these boats could be taken offshore and with large reels of heavy monofilament line mounted on each side, it was now possible to fish the very productive and relatively untapped deep ocean depths, generally one hundred fathoms or more. Of course, this meant fishing throughout the night, bobbing around in a relatively small boat with perhaps three other fishermen and by the end of the night, adding to the mix several hundred pounds of fish in every size and shape and smell.
The project was so successfull and the fish catches so plentiful that he soon started taking twice weekly trips around the island of Upolu, hanging on for dear life to the back of a giant flatbed truck that held four large boxes containing ice on the o