SUMMARY 
Satellite-acquired ocean-color and sea-surface- 
temperature data are powerful tools for understanding 
biological and physical processes in the ocean on a 
global scale. From 1978 to 1986, the Coastal Zone Col- 
or Scanner (CZCS) aboard the Nimbus-7 satellite pro- 
vided the first ocean-color data. During this period re- 
searchers demonstrated that these data can be used to 
determine the abundance of ocean biota. As a result, 
many commercial, operational, and research applica- 
tions were developed that take advantage of the direct 
relationship of the ocean's color to its phytoplankton 
content. 
Also, data from the long-wavelength infrared bands 
of the Advanced Very-High Resolution Radiometer 
(AVHRR) aboard the NOAA series of satellites have 
proven useful in developing global maps of sea-surface 
temperature. Used jointly, these data have given new 
insights into the role of the oceans in our biosphere as 
well as providing economic benefits to several major in- 
dustries. 
This work demonstrates the need for an operational 
spaceborne sensor that would provide data on ocean 
color and sea-surface temperature simultaneously. 
Since the CZCS has become nonoperational, this need 
has become acute. Recognizing the importance of sat- 
isfying this need and the opportunity for incorporating 
such a sensor on the Landsat-6 spacecraft, NASA, 
Headquarters and EOSAT convened a SeaWiFS! Work- 
ing Group in early 1987 to: 
®@ Discuss and document commercial, operational, and 
research applications for wide-field-of-view ocean- 
color imagery from the Landsat-6 satellite, 
@ Define users' requirements for sensor performance 
and for data products and dissemination, and to 
e@ Determine the feasibility of meeting the users’ re- 
quirements with respect to sensor design, accommo- 
dation of the sensor on the Landsat-6 satellite, data 
collection and distribution, and necessary space- 
craft and ground-station interfaces. 
| Sea-viewing, Wide-Field-of-View Sensor Ml 
