UP satellite station used to monitor oceanic conditions

Proper planning and prevention are still the best measures against any kind of disaster. Knowing this, the students, faculty, and staff of the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute (MSI) came up with plans to handle calamities using remote sensing products.

With the acquisition of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) or the High-Resolution Picture Transmission (HRPT) satellite receiving station, the MSI is able to monitor vast areas of the sea, as well as produce images for sea surface temperature, temperature mapping, and even cloud delineation.

Since there are six NOAA/HRPT satellites orbiting the Earth from pole to pole, images are picked up daily. This will help MSI detect coral bleaching, an occurrence caused by temperature anomalies in the ocean.

The data gathered from these satellites will allow the MSI to warn localities near areas where coral bleaching occurs to take measures to prevent further damage.

According to Dr. Laura David, deputy director of instruction of MSI, the HRPT is very effective if you need to observe and monitor something large-scale.

"The data are free and frequent, and can help in protecting our corals and in detecting anomalies such as typhoons, temperature changes, and more," she said.

Both research and remote sensing, or reading the data from the satellites help the institute create models that will show communities what to do. The detection of coral bleaching in a coastal region, for example, will help people take measures to prevent algae from choking the reef.

By instructing fisheries to stop harvesting certain species of fish in the affected areas, the MSI helps stabilize and balance the growth of algae vis-a-vis other marine life.

Remote sensing instruments can also be used to scout for areas in the ocean that can be made into marine protected areas.

They may also be used to predict possible locations where poachers from other countries are likely to strike, based on the images of areas teeming with fish food.

The satellites also help in reforestation efforts by indicating the optimal places to plant trees to control erosion and landslides. By making the effort to prevent such occurrences or rehabilitate these locations, the technology actually helps save time and money. Response time to calamities also becomes faster.

The images from the satellites help MSI to immediately determine which agency or community should be contacted to address the problem at hand.

This is why David believes in training the students and staff of MSI to read, gather, and respond to the images sent via satellite.

"Even before it occurs, they will have time to prepare or prevent it from happening," she said.

Under David’s guidance, the institute recently facilitated workshops at the Bolinao Marine Laboratory and San Carlos University, Cebu.

The workshops targeted coastal areas such as Anda, Alaminos, Bolinao, and Bani, all in Pangasinan.

Initially called "hotspots," the discussions were focused on contingency planning and the effects of temperature changes in the ocean, as seen through the NOAA/HRPT satellite.

The participants included local government units, municipal officers, managers of marine protected areas, and NGOs such as Conservation International and World Wildlife Fund.

As the NOAA satellites orbit the Earth, the MSI continuously watches and interprets the data received. The institute’s vigilance is a testament to its understanding of its duties and responsibilities to the country.