
Identifying drought-prone areas and developing an early warning system for crop damage. Protecting biologically diverse areas of the National Park System with a trail monitoring tool. Confirming flooded areas to better inform decision-makers during a disaster.
Each program area supports a variety of projects that utilize Earth observations to identify challenges around the world and create innovative solutions. Our portfolio demonstrates the benefits of using NASA Earth observations to enhance decision-making and improve life on Earth.
Sort by program area to find specific projects or explore them all below.
Amy Thomas
Terra Edenhart-Pepe
As flooding events in the United States grow in frequency and intensity, the use of technological advancements and applied science is increasingly necessary for effective flood monitoring and warning systems. Governments are exploring new ways of using science and technology to...
Robert Jones
Palau, a small island state in the Pacific Ocean, relies heavily on seafood for the food security of the citizens. Aquaculture is emerging in Palau as a strategy to supplement seafood production from wild resources, but farming practices can threaten the fragile marine ecosystems if...
Gordon Luikart
Aquatic invasive species (AIS) presence in freshwater ecosystems has increased over the past several years as a result of climate change and anthropogenic landscape change. The spread of AIS is harmful to the health of native aquatic species, and therefore threatens the health of aquatic...
Eli Simonson
Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) is vitally important to the Chesapeake Bay, serving as one of the primary food sources for the organisms that inhabit the bay. This project evaluated the efficacy of remote sensing applications to monitor water quality parameters, specifically turbidity, to indicate areas...
Gavin Pirrie
The eastern Great Basin (EGB) extends throughout the states of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming, covering approximately 411,000 km2. In recent years, wildfires in the EGB have increased in frequency and size, representing a growing concern for our partners...
Flavia Dias de Souza Moraes
The Luquillo Mountains in the El Yunque National Forest contain the most biologically diverse forest in the United States. It is a cloud forest rich in endemic species and its streams bring clean water to the people of Puerto Rico. This unique environment was exposed...
Dionne Blanks (Project Co-Lead)
The Isla del Coco Marine Reserve, located off the coast of Costa Rica, is experiencing several environmental challenges including rising sea surface temperature (SST), coral reef bleaching, coastal erosion, and loss of cloud coverage above its cloud forest. These challenges not only threaten the well-being...
Sabine Nix
The Cheat River, primarily located in northeast West Virginia, experiences major flooding events that negatively impact nearby communities. Poor water quality due to acid mine drainage and excess sediment loads during flood events threaten the health of communities and numerous...
Brittany Greene
Iowa dedicates 92% of its land to agriculture, leaving the state economically and culturally vulnerable to drought. Current climate trends show increasing temperatures and decreasing precipitation levels, which are environmental factors that put stress on vegetation and force farmers to...