NASA's Ocean Biology Distributed Active Archive Center (OB.DAAC) is led by experts in the fields of ocean biology, ocean color, and data science.
OB.DAAC Staff
OB.DAAC User Working Group
The OB.DAAC User Working Group (UWG) is an external advisory group tasked to:
- Assess the quality of services provided by OB.DAAC and provide a determination of the extent to which the products reflect the needs of the science community.
- Offer recommendations on the addition of new datasets.
- Suggest improvements to enhance overall user experience.
- Facilitate communications with the global ocean color user community and interested members of other communities.
- Recommend new capabilities and guidance on suggested priorities.
- Communicate with and document actions/input from the UWG to NASA's Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS) Project and Earth Science Data Systems (ESDS) Program.
- Review previous recommendations for continued relevance and possible priority changes.
The UWG meets once per year to review the status of OB.DAAC operations and to provide recommendations. Additional information about the responsibilities of the UWG can be found in the OB DAAC UWG Charter.
Meeting Information
Upcoming: UWG 2026
For details on upcoming and past meetings information visit the OB.DAAC User Working Group Wiki page.
UWG Members
2022-2025 Cohort
| Name | Affiliation | Specialty |
|---|---|---|
| Brian Barnes | University of South Florida | Satellite Remote Sensing, Ocean Optics, Coastal Water Quality, Atmospheric correction, Benthic Classification |
| Guillaume Bourdin | University of Maine | Oceanography, Marine Science, Ocean Optics |
| Robert Frouin | Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego | Radiation transfer theory; Satellite remote sensing; Inverse problems related to light scattering; Air-sea interactions; Ocean color; Carbon cycle; Climate change |
| Jason Graff | Oregon State University | Phytoplankton ecology and physiology, bacteria-phytoplankton interactions, developing and improving methods for investigating marine phytoplankton from the cellular to global scale. |
| Brice Grunert (Chairperson) | Cleveland State University | Dissolved organic carbon; Water quality; Ecosystem processes |
| Erin Hestir | University of California, Merced | Aquatic ecosystems under threat from competing pressures to meet societal needs for water and food security while sustaining biodiversity and other ecosystem services; expertise in geospatial analytics, hyperspectral and satellite remote sensing, and sensor networks in inland and coastal waters and wetlands |
| Sasha Kramer | Boston University | Phytoplankton community structure in the surface ocean using in-water measurements and satellite remote sensing. |
| Rick Reynolds | Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego | Ocean optics; Phytoplankton physiology and ecology; Remote-sensing of ocean color and biogeochemistry; Polar ecosystems |
| Knut Stamnes | Stevens Institute of Technology | Atmospheric/Space Research |
| Jessie Turner | Old Dominion University | coastal waters, sediments, water clarity, water quality |
| Xiaodong Zhang | University of Southern Mississippi | Optical Oceanography, Ocean Optics, Ocean Color, Remote Sensing |
User Working Group Ex Officio Members
| Name | Position | Affiliation |
|---|---|---|
| Laura Lorenzoni | Ocean Biology and Biogeochemistry Program Scientist | NASA Headquarters |
| Sandra Blevins | ESDIS OB.DAAC Engineer | NASA Goddard Space Flight Center |
| Sean Bailey | OB.DAAC Manager | NASA Goddard |
| Alicia Scott | OB.DAAC Deputy Manager | NASA Goddard |
| Guoqing Wang | OB.DAAC Scientist | NASA Goddard |
Non-Voting Members
| Name | Position | Affiliation |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremy Werdell | Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) Project Scientist | NASA Goddard |
| Bryan Franz | MODIS/VIIRS Ocean Discipline Lead | NASA Goddard |
| Aynur Abdurazik | Sea, earth, atmosphere Data Analysis System (SeaDAS) Lead | NASA Goddard |
| Chris Proctor | SeaWiFS Bio-optical Archive and Storage System (SeaBASS) Lead | NASA Goddard |