1. Finding Fish Using Satellites
Pete Arvedson
California Science Conference
October 25, 2013
Hosted by Satellite Educators Association
Lesson plan development supported by a grant from NOAA-CREST West

2. A Little History…
“Fishing via Satellite” lesson plan by Karen Roshong ~ 1991
Published in Lessons from the Sky

3. Session Objectives
Explain fish behavior related to changes in water temperature
Access satellite-based sea surface temperature data
Visualize, Analyze, Interpret data
Hypothesize fish locations based on analysis

4. Ocean Fish Behavior Changes in marine ecosystems have patterns…
Including temperature variations
Seasonal
Diurnal
Ocean fish metabolism is environmently dependent
Fish respond to changes in…
Oxygen availability
Food supply
Temperature

5. CHART of OCEAN FISH and WATER TEMPERATURE
(Source:
Fish Species
Temperature Range
Lower Limit
Optimal
Upper Limit
Albacore 59
62-65 66
Amberjack 60
65-75
80+
Atlantic Mackerel 40
45-55 70
Barracuda 55
72-80 86
Blackfin Tuna 65
70-75 82
Black Marlin 68
72-8 87
Bluefin Tuna 50
60-72
Bluefish
66-72
Blue Marlin
74-82 88
Bonefish
72-84
92+
Cobia 75
Crevalle Jack
70-85 90
Dolphin
72-78
Jack Crevelle
75-85
King Mackerel
68-76
Pompano
70-82
85+
Red Drum 52
70-90
90+
Red Snapper
55-65
70+
Sailfish
72-82
Skipjack Tuna
58-62
Snook
Spanish Mackerel 78
Spotted Seatrout 48
68-78
Striped Bass
Striped Marlin 61 80
Swordfish
60-70
Tarpon
75-90
100+
Weakfish 45
56-68
White Seabass 58
64-68 74
Yellowfin Tuna 64
Yellowtail
62-66

8. Satellites > 24,500 objects are in Earth orbit
~ 560 operational satellites
Many are Earth looking
Weather satellites
Geostationary (GOES)
Polar orbiting
POES
JPSS

9.  Solar radiation reaches Earth surface
Satellite Educators Association
California Science Conference 2013
Finding Fish Using Satellites - 9

10.   Surface features reflect solar radiation to remote sensors
Satellite Educators Association
California Science Conference 2013
Finding Fish Using Satellites - 10

11. 
Satellite sends radio signal from remote sensors to Earth station  
Satellite Educators Association
California Science Conference 2013
Finding Fish Using Satellites - 11

12. Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer Channel Characteristics
AVHRR
Weather satellites 1981 – 2002
MODIS on Terra & Aqua since
Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer
Channel Characteristics
(Resolution = 1.09 km/pixel)
Channel
Number
Wavelength
(μm)
Typical Use 1
0.58 – 0.68
Daytime cloud and surface mapping 2
0.725 – 1.00
Land-water boundaries 3A
1.58 – 1.64
Snow and ice detection 3B
3.55 – 3.93
Night cloud mapping, sea surface temperature 4
10.30 – 11.30 5
11.50 – 12.50
Sea surface temperature

13. SEA Surface Temperature Data
Received by NOAA
Processed to Level 1-4…
Used for research and…
Archived by NOAA NODC & NASA PO.DAAC
Data
Level
Description
Level 0
Raw data from satellite remote sensor
Level 1
Level 0 + time-referenced, georeferenced
Level 2
Level 1 + derived geophysical variables
Level 3
Level 2 + gridded to uniform space-time grid scales
Level 4
Level 3 + model output or results from analyses
NASA PO.DAAC

14. Physical Oceanography Distributed Active Archive Center – Live Access Server
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21. Extension Activities
Access ocean topography image, same data – compare
Use same technique to predict different fish caught from different port
Devise a plan to “ground-truth” the satellite-based SST
Find & process a MODIS image for SST
Devise a plan for determining in which season coastal eddy currents and upwelling are most common
Explore linear relationship between SST and pixel brightness value in Level 3 data

22. CA Science Content Standards
Grade 6: Ecology –
Organisms in ecosystems exchange energy and nutrients among themselves and with the environment. (e)
Grade 6: Investigation and Experimentation –
Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and conduction careful investigations. (b, c)
Grades 9-12: Biology/Life Science -
Stability in an ecosystem is a balance between competing effects. (a, b, c)
Grades 9-12: Investigations and Experimentation –
Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and conducting careful investigations. (a, i)

23. Contact Information
Pete Arvedson -
Check out lesson plans in Satellite Educators Association (SEA) monthly Newsletter…
More opportunities to involve students doing research: SEA’s M.Y. S.P.A.C.E.* Program - an international high school collaborative environmental research program using satellite-based data…
* (Multinational Youth Studying Practical Applications of Climatic Events)