MarQUEST: Ocean Optics and Plankton Model Measurements

MarQUEST developed new methods for validating ocean biogeochemistry models using remote sensing ocean colour data from SeaWiFS/SeaStar Level 3 products, in situ data, and observations from European programmes CarboOcean and EUR-OCEANS. The project generated an accurate physical simulation of the North Atlantic guided by data assimilation to quantify air-sea fluxes of CO2, oxygen, and dimethyl sulphide. It also created a module to simulate coastal ecosystems within global ocean biogeochemical simulations.

Use Cases

• Validating ocean biogeochemistry models based on remote sensing and in situ data.
• Quantifying air-sea gas fluxes (CO2, O2, DMS) using a data-assimilated North Atlantic simulation.
• Comparing physiological approaches to understanding planktonic ecosystems across different models.
• Simulating coastal ecosystem dynamics within a global biogeochemical model framework.

Strengths

• Project involved 15 co-investigators from multiple UK research institutions and laboratories.
• Integrates multiple data sources: remote sensing (SeaWiFS), in situ measurements, and ongoing European programme observations.
• Developed a specific simulation module for coastal ecosystems usable in global models.

Limitations

• Critical metadata is missing: specific column names, row counts, file size, license, and author details are unknown.
• The dataset's temporal coverage and spatial resolution beyond the North Atlantic focus are not specified.
• Relies on inferred data types from descriptions; the actual data structure is not documented.

Provenance

Source

Centre for Environmental Data Analysis (CEDA). Project led by Prof Andrew Watson (UEA).

Collection Method

Collection contains measurements from SeaWiFS/SeaStar Level 3 remote sensing products, combined with in situ data and model outputs.

Freshness

Last updated on 2026-07-08 according to platform metadata.

Geography

North Atlantic region, with potential for global coastal ecosystem simulation.