How is Technology Used
Weather dominates our lives. It controls how we work, live and play, and accounts for nearly 20 percent of the information presented in local newscasts. Many of us plan our daily activities by looking at a forecast. Will it snow? Will it be humid? What are the chances of rain for the weekend?
These are the questions people want answered about their climate, but where does one go to explore the “weather” in the aquatic environment of fish, oysters or bay grasses?
The answer: Eyes on the Bay. http://www.eyesonthebay.net.
Water quality mapping technologies improve this data’s spatial resolution, enabling DNR to determine the extent and impact of harmful conditions such as low dissolved oxygen or algal blooms. New technologies also allow for timely and relevant data to be provided in a compelling format through the EOTB website. DNR is also partnering with NASA to provide satellite imagery of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. These images provide valuable information and data which scientist can view to help understand or figure out why an event like an algae bloom may have occurred. The orbit of the NASA satellite provides imagery to study environmental issues across the globe such as cloud cover, vegetation on land and water temperatures. (www.aqua.nasa.gov).
More Than Just Data
Courtesy of NASA/GSFC/MITI/ERSDAC/JAROS,