This page lists past seminars and presentations by STAR
scientists and visiting scientists. These seminars include the STAR
Science Forum and similar events. Presentation materials for
seminars will be provided when available.
Abstract: Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) and Regional Fishery Bodies (RFBs) are increasingly challenged to manage fisheries under growing climate variability, shifting species distributions, and ecosystem change. To address these challenges, the GEO Blue Planet Fisheries Workshop, held in London, UK (21"22 April 2026), convened representatives from RFMOs, RFBs, ocean observing programs, and scientific institutions to explore how ocean data and Earth Observation products can better support fisheries decision-making.The workshop focused on identifying the opportunities, barriers, and capacity needs associated with integrating ocean observations, ecosystem indicators, and predictive models into fisheries management processes. Discussions highlighted common challenges across regions, including limited technical infrastructure, insufficient access to tailored ocean information, lack of long-term environmental datasets, and weak institutional connections between science providers and fisheries managers. Participants emphasized that successful adoption of ocean data requires not only technological solutions but also sustained capacity building, ocean literacy, and stronger science-policy partnerships.A key outcome was the development of recommendations for a regionally tailored Minimum Viable Ocean Data or MVOD framework to support fisheries management and ecosystem-based approaches. Participants also identified priority actions to improve information flow from ocean observing systems to management bodies and proposed pilot projects in the Indian Ocean/Bay of Bengal and West Africa/South Atlantic regions. The workshop concluded that strengthening institutional bridges between ocean science and fisheries governance is essential for enabling RFMOs and RFBs to incorporate environmental information into sustainable and climate-resilient fisheries management.
Abstract: The International Ocean Colour CoordinatingGroup (IOCCG) was established in 1996, in the tail end of the decade of hiatusafter the demise of the CZCS, the first proof-of-concept ocean colour satellitein 1986, and before the launch of SeaWiFS. It was set up to coordinateocean-colour science and applications at the international level, and was thebrainchild of Robert Frouin and was spearheaded initially by Trevor Platt, thefirst Chair of IOCCG. In the early days, the emphasis of IOCCG activities wason science, technical development, and advocacy for seamless continuity ofocean-colour missions; but soon, operational aspects also became an importantcomponent. Over time, the activities extended to embrace freshwater systems, inaddition to coastal and open-ocean domains. With the advent of the VIIRS seriesof satellites by NOAA, operational ocean-colour sensors became a reality, andmany applications were quick to follow. The International Ocean Colour Science(IOCS) meeting, introduced by David Antoine, one of the previous Chairs ofIOCCG, has become an important forum for the community to interact and exchangeideas with each other, as well as with the space agency representatives. IOCCGhas a global vision, which has never been more important than now, with 13nations, including 4 from Asia and one from South America with their owncurrent or future ocean-colour satellite missions, and with many privatecompanies launching their own constellations of mini sensors. Capacity buildingbecomes imperative in this context, and IOCCG has taken a lead in that as well,with international training courses being one of the mainstays of the Group'sactivities. More still needs to be done, especially in the Global South, whilerecognising that capacity building is a global requirement, not just of theSouth. NOAA has an important role in IOCCG, with many noteworthy contributorsto the Committee, the Executive, and the many IOCCG Reports and Protocols,including Cara Wilson, the immediate past-Chair of IOCCG, and Menghua Wang,NOAA's representative on the IOCCG Executive.
Abstract: Pelagic Sargassum, one type of brown macroalgae or seaweed, has been known to be abundant in the Sargasso Sea since its first report in the 15th century by Christopher Columbus. In 2011, however, large amounts of Sargassum started to appear in the Caribbean Sea, causing adverse impacts on the coastal environments and turning an otherwise critical open-ocean habitat into a coastal hazard. Since then, the research community has spent enormous effort in finding better ways to assess its spatial distributions and temporal changes as well as improved understandings of the reasons behind these changes. Here, using satellite observations and other data, we first review the remote sensing techniques used to map and quantify pelagic Sargassum, and thenreport a possible regime shift in Sargassum distributions in the Atlantic Ocean, characterized by the emergent Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt and dramatic decline in Sargassum abundance in the north Sargasso Sea. We also discuss the possible reasons behind such a regime shift and pathway forward in future Sargassum research.
Abstract: Since 2010, a new generation of space-based ocean observations has significantly improved the monitoring of the ocean surface, providing more detailed measurements of sea-state and sea level, and making it easier to capture changes in ocean conditions, particularly in coastal and high-energy regions. Those observations play an important role in weather and ocean forecasting, long-term assessments of ocean conditions, and studies of how waves and sea level influence coastal, reef, and offshore environments.
This presentation introduces new parameters related to wave motion enabled by recently developed algorithms. The new parameters are presented and discussed, together with their effects on estimates of sea level and wave height. Example cases include gridded sea level and sea-state results that illustrate how these products change when the new parameters are taken into account. The presentation will additionally provide a brief overview of ongoing efforts to extend these approaches to polar regions. Co-authors: Alejandro Egido, ESTEC/ESA; Doug Vandemark, University of New Hampshire; Hui Feng, University of New Hampshire
Abstract: Phytoplankton play a central role in marine biogeochemical processes and ocean ecosystems, and satellite ocean color observations provide a powerful means of monitoring their variability through changes in optical properties of seawater. However, interpreting long-term signals from ocean color data remains challenging due to the strong influence of natural variability and measurement uncertainties. In this seminar, we introduce an analysis framework that integrates long-term environmental records with multi-decadal satellite ocean color observations to better separate persistent signals from dominant modes of natural variability. By combining complementary datasets and applying signal-separation techniques, this approach enables a clearer examination of long-term changes in ocean optical properties without relying on short-term fluctuations.We discuss how variations in light absorption and scattering"linked to changes in phytoplankton and dissolved constituents"can be systematically examined using sustained satellite observations. Rather than focusing on specific regional outcomes, the emphasis of this seminar is on the methodological approach, data consistency, and the implications for long-term monitoring. This work highlights the importance of continuous, well-calibrated satellite ocean color records as an essential component of operational ocean monitoring systems and their applications to ecosystem and fisheries-relevant studies.
