NASA will use an imaging tool to conduct studies of coastal waters from space to sustain coastal ecosystems and optimize resource management functions. Developed by a team from the University of New Hampshire, the Geosynchronous Littoral Imaging and Monitoring Radiometer is a hyperspectral ocean color radiometer built to observe ocean chemistry, biology and ecology in the southeastern U.S. coastline, Gulf of Mexico and Amazon River, the agency said Friday.
NASA will deploy the tool aboard a space platform in geosynchronous orbit by 2026 through 2027 to measure the reflectance of sunlight from coastal waters in narrow frequencies. The agency selected the instrument through the Earth Venture Instrument program, an initiative seeking to launch experiments along satellite missions.
“With GLIMR, scientists can better understand coastal regions and develop advanced predictive tools for these economically and ecologically important systems,†said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of NASA’s science mission directorate.
