Kelsey Bisson (lead PI), together with Michael Behrenfeld (Co-I) & Emmanuel Boss (UMaine, Co-I) received NASA funding to study Arctic and global ocean phytoplankton using the newly launched ICESat-2 satellite lidar. ICESat-2 was launched with the primary intention of measuring changes in sea ice and glacial thickness at centimeter resolution, but Bisson and colleagues will use this technology to study vertical structuring of Arctic phytoplankton, especially as phytoplankton populations are affected by sea-ice changes in the region. Another exciting objective of this grant is to improve estimates of primary production in the Arctic and globally using information about the distribution of phytoplankton in the water column, which fundamentally affects their physiology and broader ecological roles. (Total funding ~$350k)
Read more about NASA's ICESat-2 Satellite mission.