An oceanographer, he uses remote sensing to address and understand
biological patterns and their biogeochemical consequences in the global ocean.
His primary research interest includes the remote detection, characterization
and prediction of marine organisms. His activities include:
Corliss, B., C.W. Brown, Sun, X., and W.J. Showers. 2009. Deep-sea
benthic foraminiferal diversity linked to pelagic seasonality of
productivity. Deep-Sea Research Part I 56: 835-841.
Del Vecchio, R., A. Subramaniam, S. Schollaert, J. Ballabrera Poi, C.W.
Brown and N. V. Blough. 2009. Time-series of SeaWiFS retrieve CDOM
absorption and estimates of CO2 photoproduction on the continental shelf
of the Eastern United States. Geophysical Research Letters 36, L02602,
doi:10.1029/2008GL036169.
Vargas, M., C. W. Brown and M. R. P. Sapiano. 2009. Phenology of marine
phytoplankton from satellite ocean color measurements. Geophysical
Research Letters 36, L01608, doi:10.1029/2008GL036006.
Constantin de Magny, G., R. Murtugudde, M.R.P. Sapiano, A. Nizam, C.W.
Brown, A.J. Busalacchi, M. Yunnus, B.G. Nair, A.I. Gil, C.F. Lanata,
J.Calkins, B. Manna, K. Rajendran, M.K. Bhattacharya, A. Huq, R.B. Sack,
and R.R. Colwell. 2008. Environmental signatures associated with cholera
epidemics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science 105 (46):
17676-17681.
Decker, M. B., C. W. Brown, R. R. Hood, J. E. Purcell, T. F. Gross,
J. C. Matanoski, R. O. Bannon, and E. M. Setzler-Hamilton. 2007.
Predicting the distribution of the scyphomedusa, Chrysaora
quinquecirrha, in Chesapeake Bay. Marine Ecology Progress Series
329:99-113.
Corliss, B.H., X. Sun, C.W. Brown, and W.J. Showers. 2006.
Influence of seasonal primary productivity on δ13C of North Atlantic
deep-sea benthic foraminifera. Deep-Sea Research I, 53: 740-746.
Hood, R.R., E.A. Laws, R.A. Armstrong, N.R. Bates, C.W. Brown, C.A.
Carlson, F. Chai, S.C. Doney, H. Ducklow, P. G. Falkowski, R.A. Feely,
A.M. Friedrichs, M.R. Landry, J.K. Moore, D.M. Nelson, T.L. Richardson,
B. Salihoglu, M. Schartau, D.A. Toole, and J.D. Wiggert. 2006. Pelagic
functional group modeling: Progress, challenges and prospects. Deep-Sea
Research II 53: 459-512.
Sun, X., B.H. Corliss, C.W. Brown, and W.J. Showers. 2006. The effect
of primary productivity and seasonality on the distribution of deep-sea
benthic foraminifera in the North Atlantic. Deep-Sea Research I 53: 28-47.
Brown, C.W., L.N. Connor, J.L. Lillibridge, N.R. Nalli, and R.V.
Legeckis. 2004: An introduction to satellite sensors, observations
and techniques. In: Miller, R. L., C. E. Del Castillo, and B. A. McKee,
Remote Sensing of Coastal Aquatic Environments, Springer, New
York, pp. 21-50.
Legeckis, R., C.W. Brown, F. Bonjean, and E.S. Johnson. 2004. The
influence of Tropical Instability Waves on phytoplankton blooms in
the wake of the Marquesas Islands during 1998 and on the currents
observed during the drift of the Kon-Tiki in 1947. Geophysical
Research Letters 31(23), L23307, doi:10.1029/2004GL021637.
Legeckis, R., C.W. Brown, F. Bonjean, and E.S. Johnson. 2004.
Satellites reveal the influence of equatorial currents and tropical
instability waves on the drift of the Kon-Tiki in the Pacific.
Oceanography 17(4): 166-175.
Vaillancourt, R.D., C.W. Brown, R.R.L. Guillard, and W.W.
Balch. 2004. Light backscattering properties of marine plankton:
Relationships to cell size, chemical composition and taxonomy.
Journal of Plankton Research 26(2): 191-212.
Dept. of Commerce • NOAA • NESDIS • STAR • Last revised: October 28, 2010
Christopher Brown received a B.S. degree in
Biological Sciences from Cornell University in 1982, and a M.S. and Ph.D. in
Oceanography from the Graduate School of Oceanography of the University of
Rhode Island in 1987 and 1993, respectively. After his doctorate, he began a
two year postdoctoral fellowship at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center as
a National Research Council Resident Research Associate. Chris joined NESDIS
in November 1995. He is currently a member of the Satellite Climate Studies
Branch and a Visiting Associate Research Scientist with the Cooperative
Institute of Climate and Satellites at the University of Maryland.