Grace Su ( grace@seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov) (301) 286-9494
Applicant's Name: ANA MARIA MARTINS Institution: UNIVERSITY OF THE AZORES, DEPARTMENT OF OCEANOGRAPHY AND FISHERIES Address: CAIS De SANTA CRUZ 9901-862 HORTA FAIAL, AZORES, PORTUGAL Telephone: 001-351-292200408 Fax Number: 001-351-292200411 E-mail Address: anamartins@notes.horta.uac.pt Type of Temporary Agreement requested: An agreement that temporarily enables a non-real time SeaWiFS HRPT station to decrypt real-time data and release it to the Authorized Users list. Time period of temporary agreement (3 months maximum). Start Date (month/day/year): 06/09/2004 End Date (month/day/year): 06/22/2004 SeaWiFS HRPT Station to provide data: HAZO List of Authorized Users to access real-time data. 1. MARTINS, ANA 2. FIGUEIREDO, MIGUEL Project Title: MAR-ECO "Patterns and Process of the Ecosystems of the Mid-Atlantic Principal Investigator(s): Odd Aksel Bergslod Funding Agency(s) : European Community + public and private contributors Description of the Research Project and Justification for Real-time SeaWiFS Data: MAR-ECO is an international research project in which scientists from 16 nations take part. This project aims to enhance our understanding of occurrence, distribution and ecology of animals and animal communities along the Mid- Atlantic Ridge between Iceland and the Azores. Several groups of animals to be studied are fishes, crustaceans, cephalopods (squids) and a wide range of gelatinous animals (e.g. jellyfish) living either near the seabed or in midwater above the ridge. MAR-ECO adopts advanced technology and instruments for observing and sample the animals working up to 3500 m depth and in rugged terrain. An international multidisciplinary team of biologists, oceanographers, and engineers is offered this rare opportunity. A number of countries have committed their best research vessels, and in the 2003-2005 field phase a number of research cruises will be carried out. In 2004, a two-month major international expedition is being planned for the new Norwegian Vessel RV G.O. Sars, but vessels from Iceland, Russia, Germany, the United Kingdom and Portugal will also take part. In June 2003 a Russian-US cruise using the manned submersibles MIR-1 and -2 took scientists to areas never before visited by humans at 4500m below the surface. A G.O. Sars two-leg cruise will take place during the months of June to August. Within this framework, our Remote Sensing team at the University of the Azores, became responsible for trying to have real-time data available for the scientists in the cruise. Through our HAZO station we can obtain real-time AVHRR data, but we would still have to have permission to obtain real-time SeaWiFS data. This data will be processed by the team at the University of the Azores and will be used only for research purposes within the framework of MAR-ECO, and as member participants of this project.