This repository of in situ, high quality oceanographic and atmospheric data can be used to support satellite data product validation, algorithm development, and scientific analysis. Archived data include measurements of apparent and inherent optical properties, phytoplankton pigment concentrations, and other related oceanographic and atmospheric data, such as water temperature, salinity, stimulated fluorescence, and aerosol optical thickness. Data are collected using a number of different instrument packages, such as profilers, buoys, and hand-held instruments, and manufacturers on a variety of platforms, including ships and moorings.

Although initially developed for our Sea-viewing Wide Field of View Sensor (SeaWiFS) mission, SeaBASS regularly expands its capabilities to align with missions supported by NASA's Ocean Biology Distributed Active Archive Center (OB.DAAC), which currently include Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), Ocean and Land Colour Instrument (OLCI), Medium Resolution Imaging Spectometer (MERIS), SeaWiFS, Ocean Color and Temperature Scanner (OCTS), and Coastal Zone Color Scanner Experiment (CZCS).