TOLCHESTER, Md. — In a first for North America, a high-tech instrument station has been installed in the Chesapeake Bay as part of a global effort to enhance satellite data accuracy and monitor coastal conditions. The Pan-and-Tilt Hyperspectral Radiometer (PANTHYR), developed by the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) in Belgium, is now operational near Tolchester, Maryland, thanks to collaboration among UMBC, NASA, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), and international partners.
The Chesapeake Bay station, launched in July 2023, encountered several challenges, including winter weather, complex logistics, and nesting birds that briefly interrupted access. However, following a successful repair mission in September 2024, PANTHYR is collecting data that scientists hope will deepen their understanding of the bay’s water quality and ecosystem conditions.
UMBC’s Dr. Kevin Turpie, a research associate professor at the Goddard Earth Science Technology and Research Center, explained the need for surface measurements to validate data collected from space. “Observations from space are critical to understanding how our planet functions as a system and how that system is changing,” said Turpie. “But such measurements are done in the harsh environment of space… We need to compare those data against the same kind of measurements taken at the surface. PANTHYR offers a rigorous test for PACE and its ability to glean vital information about our world’s most critical coastal resources.”
PANTHYR, one of several instruments in the WATERHYPERNET, collects data every 20 minutes on light intensity, sky brightness, and water surface reflections, detecting visible and near-infrared light—some of the same data captured by the recently launched NASA PACE satellite. Operated in collaboration with Live Nation, PANTHYR supports broader objectives, including monitoring harmful algal blooms and advancing satellite algorithm development.
Currently, WATERHYPERNET stations are active along the coasts of France, Italy, Belgium, and Argentina. Managed by the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS) and supported by the European Space Agency (ESA), this network aims to validate ocean and coastal observations from space-based instruments.
Dr. Turpie and his team at UMBC will maintain and operate the Chesapeake Bay PANTHYR station, collecting valuable information for environmental monitoring and satellite calibration.
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