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Abstract
The ENEA (Italian Agency for New Technologies, Energy and the Environment) lidar fluorosensor (ELF), aboard the research vessel Italica, measured continuously surface chlorophyll-a concentrations during the Italy–New Zealand and New Zealand–Italy transects (13 November–18 December 2001 and 28 February–1 April 2002, respectively). The ELF measurements were compared with the data collected by the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). This study pointed out advantages, disadvantages and possible synergies of lidar fluorosensor and spaceborne radiometers. In particular, the SeaWiFS and MODIS bio-optical algorithms have been calibrated with the ELF measurements. The differences between the performances of the two spaceborne radiometers are also briefly discussed.
Acknowledgments
This work has been supported by the Italian Antarctic Research Program (PNRA), Technology Sector, 5b1 Lidar Fluorosensor and 11-5 Palucc5 Projects (for the periods 1996–1998 and 1999–2001, respectively). The authors are particularly grateful to the Italian Scientific Committee for Antarctica (CSNA) for hosting the researchers and boarding the instruments in the RV Italica, and to P. Povero and V. Saggiomo for organizing the MIPOT oceanographic campaign. They warmly thank V. Saggiomo and co-workers (Zoological Station, Naples, Italy) for kindly providing unpublished data, D. Del Bugaro and R. Giovagnoli for machining the mechanical parts and the crew of the RV Italica for outstanding assistance. A special acknowledgement is addressed to D. Ferrante and I. Menicucci for participating in data acquisition. The authors would like to thank the SeaWiFS Project (Code 970.2) and the Distributed Active Archive Center (Code 902) at the Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, for the production and distribution of these data, respectively. These activities are sponsored by NASA's Mission to Planet Earth Program.