News

NASA, North Atlantic Aerosols and Marine Ecosystems Study (NAAMES)  

Dr. Mark Gibson (Associate Professor, Department of Process Engineering and Applied Science) and Dr. Susanne Craig (Research Associate in Oceanography, CERC.Ocean) are the only Canadian representatives on the project science team for the NASA, North Atlantic Aerosols and Marine Ecosystems Study (NAAMES). NAAMES is funded ($30M US) by the NASA Earth Venture Suborbital Program and is the first EV-S mission focused on studying the coupled ocean ecosystem and atmosphere.

What is NAAMES?

NAAMES (http://naames.larc.nasa.gov/) is a five-year investigation to resolve key processes controlling ocean ecosystem function, their influences on atmospheric aerosols and clouds and their implications for climate. Observations obtained during four, targeted ship and aircraft measurement campaigns, combined with the continuous satellite and in situ ocean sensor records, will enable improved predictive capabilities of Earth system processes and will inform ocean management and assessment of ecosystem change. The airborne campaign is based out of St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada.

“The pressing question is, how will these changes alter plankton production, species composition, and aerosol emissions?” 

Roles

Dr. Mark Gibson will conduct in situ measurements of aerosols and trace gases on Sable Island linked to marine phytoplankton emissions. Sable Island being located within the NAAMES study region. Dr. Susanne Craig will focus on bio-optical and satellite characterization of phytoplankton community composition on the Scotian shelf and NAAMES study region. 

They are both thrilled to have been asked to join the project science team for this NASA study.

Mark and Susanne travelled to St. John’s on November 9^th for the start of the five-year mission, participating in the project media day on November 10^th. The first measurements began on November 12^th.