2018 ESA Annual Meeting (August 5 -- 10)

SS 2 - CANCELLED - Advancing Biodiversity and Ecological Science Using NASA Airborne Campaigns

Monday, August 6, 2018: 10:15 AM-11:30 AM
355, New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
Organizer:
Keith Gaddis
Co-organizers:
Allison K. Leidner and Woody Turner
The capability of Earth observations to provide biologically relevant data has opened previously intractable areas of ecological study. For almost six decades, NASA has systematically gathered data that has revolutionized the tracking of environmental change and understanding of biodiversity patterns and processes. While NASA satellite data are now frequently integrated into ecological and biodiversity research, the community may be less familiar with NASA airborne campaigns. These campaigns are organized efforts to collect data in a geographic region to address science objectives. Airborne assets host cutting-edge instruments that advance the science of remote sensing, link temporally or spatially coarse and fine scale data, serve as a test bed for developing capabilities launched in future satellite missions, and further our understanding of the biosphere. In Alaska and Western Canada, the NASA ABOVE field campaign has combined field, airborne, satellite, and modeling data to determine climate change impact. In California and Hawaii, the HyspIRI Preparatory Airborne Campaigns have examined how hyperspectral imagery can advance biodiversity detection and understanding ecological processes. The CORAL campaign measures the condition of coral reefs gathering high spatial and spectral resolution data. To foster potential future campaign development, the NASA Biodiversity program has funded several scoping studies. This session will introduce ecologically and biodiversity relevant NASA airborne campaigns and the process by which new campaigns are developed. We will hear from panelists involved in using airborne data for ecological and biodiversity studies and others currently scoping research questions and observational needs for future airborne missions.
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