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| Ocean Optics | |
|---|---|
| Name | Ocean optics |
| Field | Oceanography, Optics |
| Notable instruments | Spectrophotometer, Radiometer |
| Related | Oceanography, Marine biology |
Ocean Optics describes the study of light behavior in marine environments, encompassing propagation, absorption, scattering, and detection of electromagnetic radiation in seawater. It integrates principles from Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, James Clerk Maxwell, and institutions such as the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Research in ocean optics supports programs like Global Ocean Observing System, Argo, Global Ocean Data Assimilation Experiment and informs work by agencies including the European Space Agency, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and universities such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Oxford, and California Institute of Technology.
Ocean optics sits at the intersection of optics, Physical oceanography, Biological oceanography, and Remote sensing. It addresses how sunlight and artificial light interact with seawater, particulates, and dissolved substances, with foundational contributions from researchers at Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, and the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research. The discipline supports operational programs like SeaWiFS and MODIS and links to historical experiments by figures associated with the Royal Society and the French Academy of Sciences.
Light behavior in the ocean is governed by laws formulated by Isaac Newton, Christiaan Huygens, and James Clerk Maxwell and extended through quantum concepts by Niels Bohr and Albert Einstein. Radiative transfer theory, developed by researchers linked to Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar and applied in works at Harvard University, describes absorption and scattering processes quantified by the radiative transfer equation used by groups at NOAA and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Key processes include elastic scattering described by Lord Rayleigh and Gustav Mie, and inelastic processes like Raman scattering studied at Imperial College London and ETH Zurich. Optical depth, attenuation coefficients, and phase functions are formalized in publications from Cambridge University Press and adapted by modelers at Princeton University and Columbia University.
Seawater optical properties are partitioned into inherent optical properties studied at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and apparent optical properties analyzed by teams at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and University of Southampton. Absorption spectra of water and dissolved organic matter (CDOM) have been characterized in studies involving Max Planck Society and CNRS. Particulate scattering by phytoplankton communities links to taxonomic work from Marine Biological Laboratory and morphological databases curated by Smithsonian Institution. Salinity and temperature effects have been quantified in collaborations between NOAA and National Oceanography Centre (UK), while spectral signatures used for classification draw on datasets from Plymouth Marine Laboratory and The Oceanography Society.
In situ instruments such as radiometers, spectroradiometers, and profiling fluorometers are developed by companies and labs associated with JPL, Kongsberg Maritime, and Wet Labs, Inc. Laboratory apparatus like integrating spheres and spectrophotometers are standard in labs at University of Washington and University of California, Santa Barbara. Autonomous platforms—gliders, floats, and drifters—are used in programs coordinated by Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute; these platforms carry sensors from manufacturers linked to Seabird Electronics and Satlantic. Calibration and validation campaigns often involve collaborations with NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer, research vessels from National Science Foundation, and international efforts like GO-SHIP.
Light regime controls photosynthesis by phytoplankton genera studied at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences and influences vertical migration of zooplankton described in work at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Primary production models used by International Council for the Exploration of the Sea and Global Ocean Ecosystem Dynamics (GLOBEC) incorporate optical parameters. Harmful algal blooms monitored by NOAA Harmful Algal Bloom Operational Forecast System and biodiversity assessments conducted by Natural History Museum, London rely on optical proxies, fluorescence techniques from University of Miami, and pigment analyses linked to Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory.
Satellite ocean color missions such as SeaWiFS, MODIS, VIIRS, Sentinel-3, and historical programs at NOAA and NASA provide global measures of chlorophyll, CDOM, and suspended sediments. Algorithms developed at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, European Space Agency, and University of Maryland, College Park convert top-of-atmosphere radiances to water-leaving radiances using atmospheric correction schemes advanced by teams at California Institute of Technology and University of Oxford. Validation networks like AERONET-OC and field campaigns coordinated by International Ocean Colour Coordinating Group tie satellite products to in situ measurements from Argo and research cruises funded by National Science Foundation and European Commission.
Ocean optics underpins fisheries management advised by Food and Agriculture Organization, coral reef monitoring used by Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and UNESCO World Heritage Centre, and climate studies integrated into Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessments. Commercial applications include aquaculture monitoring by firms collaborating with NOAA and remote sensing services provided by companies following standards from International Organization for Standardization. Emerging technologies—hyperspectral imagers from Ball Aerospace, bio-optical sensors from Kongsberg, and AI-driven analysis developed at Google and Microsoft Research—drive advances in ocean monitoring, conservation initiatives by The Nature Conservancy, and policymaking by entities such as the European Commission.