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Ocean Color Data Access and Tools

NASA has ocean color datasets that help researchers study the composition of ocean water and the processes that take place within it. Access a range of data and data tools such as AppEEARS, SeaDAS, and Giovanni to make the most of ocean color data.

Ocean Color Datasets

View All Datasets
Dataset Version Platforms Instruments Temporal Extent Spatial Extent Spatial Resolution Data Format
NASA Ocean Biogeochemical Model assimilating satellite chlorophyll data global daily VR2017 (NOBM_DAY) at GES DISC R2017 NOBM NOT APPLICABLE 1998-01-01 to 2015-12-31

N: 72 S: -84 E: 180 W: -180

NASA Ocean Biogeochemical Model assimilating satellite chlorophyll data global monthly VR2017 (NOBM_MON) at GES DISC R2017 NOBM NOT APPLICABLE 1998-01-01 to 2015-12-31

N: 72 S: -84 E: 180 W: -180

Merged Sentinel-3A and Sentinel-3B OLCI Global Binned CyAN Project, True Color (TC) Data, version 5.0 5.0 Sentinel-3A, Sentinel-3B OLCI 2016-04-25

N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180

netCDF-4
ENVISAT MERIS Global Binned CyAN Project, True Color (TC) Data, version 5.0 5.0 ENVISAT MERIS 2002-03-21 to 2012-05-09

N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180

netCDF-4
ENVISAT MERIS Reduced Resolution (RR) Data, version 4 4 ENVISAT MERIS 2002-03-21 to 2012-05-09

N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180

N1
Full Resolution Full Swath Geolocated and Calibrated TOA Radiance 4 ENVISAT MERIS 2002-05-17 to 2012-04-08

N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180

netCDF4-zipped
Full Resolution Full Swath Geophysical Product for Ocean, Land and Atmosphere 4 ENVISAT MERIS 2003-01-01 to 2012-04-08

N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180

netCDF4-zipped
Reduced Resolution Geolocated and Calibrated TOA Radiance 4 ENVISAT MERIS 2002-04-29 to 2012-04-08

N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180

Envisat N1
Reduced Resolution Geophysical Product for Ocean, Land and Atmosphere 4 ENVISAT MERIS 2002-04-29 to 2012-04-08

N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180

netCDF4-zipped
ENVISAT MERIS Full Resolution, Full Swath (FRS) Data, version 4 4 ENVISAT MERIS 2002-03-21 to 2012-05-09

N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180

N1
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Featured Ocean Color Observation Method: PACE
NASA's Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) platform measures the presence of phytoplankton, which are microscopic marine algae that can tint the ocean green and other colors. Phytoplankton function like plants in the ocean because they take up carbon dioxide and use it in photosynthesis to produce carbohydrates and oxygen. Phytoplankton help form the base of the ocean's food chain and are a key component of the carbon cycle. PACE and its optical spectrometer called the Ocean Color Instrument (OCI) can observe light reflected by phytoplankton and the ocean in unprecedented detail to provide essential data on its condition and health.
Learn More About PACE
This is an image showing simulated chlorophyll concentrations in the ocean on March 21, 2022. The image has a black background. Regions colored in blue represent areas of low chlorophyll concentration, green are medium, and red areas have high levels. The image has strips of black running through the colored areas from the upper left to the lower right to show PACE’s orbital track around the globe and places across the ocean where it has not scanned.

Preparing for PACE Data

Simulated data help Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) users prepare a day in the life of the new satellite.
6 MIN READ
This rectangular image shows phytoplankton levels along Florida and the East Coast of the United States, the Bahamas, and Cuba. Land is colored in muted shades of brown and green, water is dark blue, and snow is white. Nearshore are bands of light to dark green depicting picoeukaryote organism levels. Further out to sea are regions in variations of light blue showing the presences of prochlorococcus cyanobacteria.

New PACE Data Tutorials

A series of Jupyter notebook tutorials show how to retrieve and use data from NASA's Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission.

Ocean Color Data Tools

View All Data Tools
Tool Description Services
Ocean Color Level 3 and 4 Browser The Ocean Color Level 3 and 4 Browser allows users to view, download, or order global composites at various spatial and temporal scales (level 3) or get results from analyses of lower-level data (level 4). Analysis, Search and Discovery, Visualization
SeaDAS Sea, earth, atmosphere Data Analysis System (SeaDAS) is a comprehensive image analysis package for the processing, display, analysis, and quality control of ocean color data. Analysis, Visualization, Processing
SHOWING 2 OF 2

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