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Prof. Cetinić is an internationally recognised expert in optical and biological oceanography. Her research focuses on developing innovative approaches for resolving ocean biogeochemistry and phytoplankton diversity using satellite and other remote observations.

 

Throughout her career, she has contributed to numerous major international research initiatives and field campaigns, including the groundbreaking Tara Oceans circumnavigation. Her work has involved the development and application of innovative ocean-observing technologies, including hyperspectral radiometry, light polarimetry, and airborne lidar, enabling more detailed observations of the concentration and composition of particles in the ocean and atmosphere.

 

Prof. Cetinić has also held several key scientific roles in major NASA programmes and missions. She served as Project Scientist for EXPORTS (EXport Processes in the Ocean from RemoTe Sensing), a large-scale NASA-led field campaign, and as the PACE Project Science Lead for Ocean Biogeochemistry. She has also contributed to the PACE-PAX validation campaign and currently serves as the PACE Project Science Lead for the PACE Validation and Science Team.

 

She received her PhD in Biological Oceanography from the University of Southern California in 2009 and has been actively involved in numerous international scientific teams, committees, and initiatives. She has also served as co-chair of the Ocean Optics Conference and as a member of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Committee on Earth Sciences and Applications from Space.

 

About the PACE Mission

 

Launched in 2024, NASA's Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission represents a major advance in Earth observation and marine science. Building upon decades of satellite ocean-colour observations and combining hyperspectral radiometry with multi-angle polarimetry, PACE provides unprecedented capabilities for observing our changing planet.

 

One of the mission's key contributions is its ability to provide detailed, near-daily global observations of ocean ecosystems. By monitoring phytoplankton and other components of the marine environment, PACE contributes to a better understanding of ocean ecosystem health, harmful algal blooms, fisheries, and other processes that affect marine environments and industries.

 

In addition to its oceanographic applications, PACE also observes aerosols, clouds, and land surfaces, providing valuable information for atmospheric research, air-quality monitoring, weather and climate studies, and the investigation of interactions between the ocean, atmosphere, and terrestrial systems.

 

Seminar and Workshop

 

During her visit, Prof. Cetinić will deliver a seminar on the PACE mission and its scientific contributions, highlighting how this new generation of satellite observations is helping address important questions in marine science, as well as atmospheric and terrestrial research.

 

 

A hands-on workshop on the use and processing of PACE oceanographic data will also be organised. Prof. Cetinić will introduce participants to the latest methods and approaches for processing oceanographic data currently used at NASA, providing a valuable opportunity to gain practical knowledge and insight into state-of-the-art satellite oceanography.

 

 

The workshop is primarily intended for graduate students, assistants, and postdoctoral researchers, although other members of the academic and research community interested in the topic are also welcome to express their interest.

 

Additional technical information and workshop materials are available through the NASA Ocean Data Science Toolkit and GitHub repository:

 

NASA Ocean Data Science Notebooks

 

We believe this will be an excellent opportunity for learning, professional development, collaboration, and networking.

 

If you are interested in participating in the workshop, please contact us and express your interest.