Applied Science and Technology Project Office

The Gulf of Mexico is a vital economic engine and sensitive ecological region of the United States, yet it is vulnerable to both natural and anthropogenic impacts. Visionary scientific leadership is essential to ensure that the societal responses to these events are informed instead of reactionary. The NASA Applied Sciences Program created the Gulf of Mexico Initiative in 2007 “to enhance the region’s ability to recover from the devastating hurricanes of 2005 and to address its coastal management issues going into the future.” The initiative utilizes NASA Earth science assets to addresses regional priorities defined by the Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA), a partnership of the states of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and 13 federal agencies whose goal is to significantly increase regional collaboration to enhance the ecological and economic health of the Gulf of Mexico.

The Applied Science and Technology Project Office (ASTPO) manages the Gulf of Mexico Initiative for NASA's Applied Sciences Program. The mission of the organization is focused on transferring results of NASA’s Earth Science research projects from the lab into the real world. ASTPO works with partners to demonstrate how NASA’s Earth Science assets can address societal issues. Using expertise in the fields of remote sensing, oceanography, coastal processes, signal processing and mathematical modeling, efforts are directed at addressing issues in the following areas:

• Water Quality for Healthy Beaches and Shellfish Beds
• Wetland and Coastal Conservation and Restoration
• Environmental Education
• Identification and Characterization of Gulf Habitats
• Reducing Nutrient Inputs to Coastal Ecosystems; and
• Coastal Community Resilience

Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Science (ROSES 2008)
Earth Science for Decision Making - Gulf of Mexico Region

		06.30.08 NASA Applied Sciences’ DEVELOP Program Fosters the Next Generation of Earth Remote Sensing Scientists + Read More
Savage Islands, Atlantic Ocean Image of the day provided by Earth Observatory		Provided by Earth Observatory

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