The OceanWatch Live Access Server: a demonstration project delivering satellite-derived environmental products for application toward the stewardship of living marine resources

The OceanWatch North Pacific Demonstration project was initiated to develop the tools needed to effectively deliver a variety of environmental products for projects linked to the stewardship of living marine resources. The OceanWatch Live Access Server (LAS) provides each of these projects with access to a full suite of satellite-derived data products, including sea surface temperature, sea surface height, surface chlorophyll concentration and surface wind vectors, and a number of products derived from one or more of the basic parameters. Basic tools to allow for integration of in situ and remotely sensed data are built in to the LAS. All data are made accessible in accordance with recommendations of the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) Data Management and Communication plan. Additionally, historical data sets for each parameter are made available at the same location to allow the users to validate the data and to place the near real time measurements in the appropriate regional context. Several examples of successful applications are presented