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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

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Dataset Sort descending	Version	Platform	Instrument	Temporal Extent	Spatial Extent	Spatial Resolution	Data Format
ADEOS-I OCTS Level-2 Regional Ocean Color (OC) Data, version 2022.0	2022.0	ADEOS-I	OCTS	1996-10-31 to 1997-06-30	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180		netCDF-4
Aqua MODIS Level-2 Regional Ocean Color (OC) - Near Real-time (NRT) Data, version 2022.0	2022.0	Aqua	MODIS	2002-07-04 to Present	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180		netCDF-4
Aqua MODIS Level-2 Regional Ocean Color (OC) Data, version 2022.0	2022.0	Aqua	MODIS	2002-07-04 to Present	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180		netCDF-4
Aqua MODIS Level-4 Global Binned Apparent Visible Wavelength (AVW) Data, version 2022.0	2022.0	Aqua	MODIS	2002-07-04 to Present	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180		netCDF-4
Aqua MODIS Level-4 Global Mapped Apparent Visible Wavelength (AVW) Data, version 2022.0	2022.0	Aqua	MODIS	2002-07-04 to Present	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180		netCDF-4
CALIPSO CALIOP Regional Particulate Backscattering Coefficient (Bbp) Data, version 1	1	CALIPSO	CALIOP	2006-04-28 to 2018-09-14	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180		netCDF-4
COMS GOCI Level-2 Regional Ocean Color (OC) Data, version 2014.0	2014.0	COMS	GOCI	2010-06-26 to 2021-03-31	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180		netCDF-4
DSCOVR EPIC Level 3 PAR	01	DSCOVR	EPIC	2015-06-13 to Present			HDF5
DSCOVR EPIC Level 3 PAR Image	01	DSCOVR	EPIC	2015-06-13 to Present			PNG
ENVISAT MERIS Level-1B 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		NetCDF
ENVISAT MERIS Level-1B Reduced Resolution (RR) Data, version 4	4	ENVISAT	MERIS	2002-03-21 to 2012-05-09	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180		NetCDF
ENVISAT MERIS Level-2 Regional Full Resolution, Full Swath (FRS) Ocean Color (OC) Data, version 2022.0	2022.0	ENVISAT	MERIS	2002-03-21 to 2012-05-09	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180		netCDF-4
ENVISAT MERIS Level-2 Regional Reduced Resolution (RR) Ocean Color (OC) Data, version 2022.0	2022.0	ENVISAT	MERIS	2002-03-21 to 2012-05-09	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180		netCDF-4
ENVISAT MERIS Level-4 Global Binned Apparent Visible Wavelength (AVW) Data, version 2022.0	2022.0	ENVISAT	MERIS	2002-03-21 to 2012-05-09	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180		netCDF-4
ENVISAT MERIS Level-4 Global Mapped Apparent Visible Wavelength (AVW) Data, version 2022.0	2022.0	ENVISAT	MERIS	2002-03-21 to 2012-05-09	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180		netCDF-4
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		netCDF-4
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		netCDF-4
ISS HICO Level-2 Regional Ocean Color (OC) Data, version 2018.0	2018.0	ISS	HICO	2009-09-25 to 2014-09-13	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180		netCDF-4
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	1.25 Decimal Degrees x 0.67 Decimal Degrees
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	1.25 Decimal Degrees x 0.67 Decimal Degrees
Nimbus-7 CZCS Level-2 Regional Ocean Color (OC) Data, version 2022.0	2022.0	Nimbus-7	CZCS	1978-10-30 to 1986-06-22	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180		netCDF-4
NOAA-20 VIIRS Level-2 Regional Ocean Color (OC) - Near Real-time (NRT) Data, version 2022.0	2022.0	NOAA-20	VIIRS	2017-11-29 to Present	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180		netCDF-4
NOAA-20 VIIRS Level-2 Regional Ocean Color (OC) Data, version 2022.0	2022.0	NOAA-20	VIIRS	2017-11-29 to Present	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180		netCDF-4
NOAA-20 VIIRS Level-4 Global Binned Apparent Visible Wavelength (AVW) Data, version 2022.0	2022.0	NOAA-20	VIIRS	2017-11-29 to Present	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180		netCDF-4
NOAA-20 VIIRS Level-4 Global Mapped Apparent Visible Wavelength (AVW) Data, version 2022.0	2022.0	NOAA-20	VIIRS	2017-11-29 to Present	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180		netCDF-4

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.

True color corrected reflectance image overlaid with chlorophyll a concentrations of southwestern South Africa from the OCI instrument aboard the PACE platform

Keeping PACE: Introduction to PACE Mission, Products, and Data Discovery

Join members of NASA's Ocean Biology Distributed Active Archive Center (OB.DAAC) to learn about data from the Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission and how to discover, access, and use PACE data.

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.

Beyond Chlorophyll: Implementation and Distribution of Innovative Ocean Color Earth Science Data Records

MEaSUREs 2006 project focused on creating and distributing a variety of established and new Ocean Color products as candidates to become ESDRs.

Ocean Color Data Tools

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