NASA’s first Earth Science Update features the first
continuous global observations of the biological engine that
drives life on our planet. The research is part of a study
published in this week’s issue of Science.

Scientists looked at the first three years of daily
observations of ocean and land plants from the Sea-Viewing
Wide Field-of-View Sensor (SeaWiFS) mission. The data being
gathered addresses issues such as where carbon goes and how
much carbon is fixed by Earth’s plants. Researchers will
discuss how carbon is distributed between the land and the
ocean and how carbon distribution has changed over time.

The update will be held at 2 p.m. EST, Thursday, March 29, in the James E. Webb
Auditorium at NASA Headquarters, 300 E St. SW, Washington, DC.
It will be moderated by Dr. Mary Cleave, Deputy Associate
Administrator for Earth Science, NASA Headquarters. Other
participants include:

* Dr. Michael Behrenfeld, Oceanographer, Goddard Space Flight
Center

* Dr. Gene Carl Feldman, Oceanographer and SeaWiFS Project
Manager, Goddard Space Flight Center

* Paul Falkowski, Professor II, the Institute of Marine and
Coastal Sciences and the Institute of Geological Sciences at
Rutgers University

* Jorge L. Sarmiento, Professor of Geosciences at Princeton
University

The briefing will be carried live on NASA Television with two-
way question-and-answer capability for reporters covering the
briefing from participating NASA centers. NASA TV is broadcast
on satellite GE-2, transponder 9C, at 85 degrees West
longitude, vertical polarization, frequency 3880 MHz, audio of
6.8 MHz. More information about SeaWiFS is available on the
Internet at:

http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov:80/SEAWIFS.html