November 24, 2017 — HYANNIS, Mass. — The first of a new series of highly advanced NOAA polar-orbiting environmental satellites which will watch for extreme weather launched last week.

The Joint Polar Satellite System, or JPSS-1, will not just help meteorologists, but also marine biologists, fishery managers and coastal habitat planners.

The satellites will be able to track changes in ocean color and spikes in water temperatures, which are important clues to understanding where marine animals live, spawn and feed.

The data collected can be used by scientists and managers to sustain marine resources into the future.

The ocean is blue, but to a fisheries scientist, different hues mean different things. Darker blue indicates deeper water and lighter and electric blue colors indicate shallower seafloors and thriving coral reef systems.

Read the full story at CapeCod.com