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Viewing Marine Bacteria, Their Activity and Response to Environmental Drivers from Orbit

Satellite Remote Sensing of Bacteria

Microbial Ecology volume 67, pages 489–500 (2014)Cite this article

Abstract

Satellite-based remote sensing of marine microorganisms has become a useful tool in predicting human health risks associated with these microscopic targets. Early applications were focused on harmful algal blooms, but more recently methods have been developed to interrogate the ocean for bacteria. As satellite-based sensors have become more sophisticated and our ability to interpret information derived from these sensors has advanced, we have progressed from merely making fascinating pictures from space to developing process models with predictive capability. Our understanding of the role of marine microorganisms in primary production and global elemental cycles has been vastly improved as has our ability to use the combination of remote sensing data and models to provide early warning systems for disease outbreaks. This manuscript will discuss current approaches to monitoring cyanobacteria and vibrios, their activity and response to environmental drivers, and will also suggest future directions.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the National Science Foundation (EF-0813285/EF-0813066/EF-1003943 to DJG and RRC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NA04-OAR-4600214 and NA-06-OAR4310119, UCAR Sub Award No. S09-75034 to DJG), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NNX09AR57G to DJG and NNX10AT99G to AS), and National Institutes of Health (2R01A1039129-11A2 to A. Huq and RRC) for their support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, The University of Southern Mississippi, 703 East Beach Drive, Ocean Springs, MS, 39564, USA

    D. Jay Grimes

  2. University of New England, 716 Stevens Avenue, Portland, ME, 04103, USA

    Tim E. Ford

  3. Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, UMIACS, University of Maryland, 3103 Biomolecular Sciences Building #296, College Park, MD, 20742, USA

    Rita R. Colwell

  4. Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Barrack Road, Weymouth, Dorset, UK

    Craig Baker-Austin

  5. Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK

    Jaime Martinez-Urtaza

  6. Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, Palisades, NY, 10964, USA

    Ajit Subramaniam

  7. Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089-0371, USA

    Douglas G. Capone

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  1. D. Jay Grimes
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  2. Tim E. Ford
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  3. Rita R. Colwell
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  4. Craig Baker-Austin
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  5. Jaime Martinez-Urtaza
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  6. Ajit Subramaniam
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  7. Douglas G. Capone
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Correspondence to D. Jay Grimes.

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Grimes, D.J., Ford, T.E., Colwell, R.R. et al. Viewing Marine Bacteria, Their Activity and Response to Environmental Drivers from Orbit. Microb Ecol 67, 489–500 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-013-0363-4

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