Title: MOBY-Net, an ocean color vicarious calibration system
Presenting Author: Kenneth J Voss
Organization: University of Miami

Abstract:
This work is focused on developing a prototype state-of-the-art ocean-color satellite vicarious calibration (Vic/Cal) system, MOBY-NET. Retrieving information on water constituents using satellite measurements of ocean color requires demanding constraints on the accuracy and precision in the radiometry of the satellite instrument. These demands require a source of ground truth data of very high precision and accuracy. Over the last 17 years this has been provided by the Marine Optical Buoy (MOBY), located off of the island of Lanai, Hawaii. With NASA focused on the upcoming PACE Ocean and Atmosphere mission, it is time to update this system in several ways. The new system is being developed in such a way that several can be deployed in remote locations, with the optical system able to be reliably removed and sent to a central common calibration facility. In this way, local partners can provide for the field support, yet the instruments are kept tied to the same calibration standards. The instrument itself will be hyperspectral (1 nm spectral resolution and bandwidth), have simultaneous multichannel imaging characteristics (to allow simultaneous measurements of all the optical parameters), have a modular optical system (to allow reliable removal and installation on the buoy structure), and have associated stability monitors to maintain calibration integrity through removal, shipping and installation. We are in the first year of this project, and the system will be described along with our current progress.