ABSTRACT

The Earth Scan Laboratory, founded and managed by faculty and staff of the Coastal Studies Institute, Louisiana State University, is a ground station and image processing facility for environmental satellite data from NOAA AVHRR, GOES GVAR, Orbview-2 SeaWiFS, Terra and Aqua MODIS, Oceansat-1 OCM and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data. This paper documents the first author's vision for coastal remote sensing in 1971, the seeds of the Earth Scan Laboratory (ESL), and its 15-year history. Since its inception in 1988 as a NOAA AVHRR receiving station, ESL has grown in capabilities, keeping pace with rapid technological advancements in satellite remote sensing. The ready access to real-time and archival satelite data has enhanced coastal, oceanic, and atmospheric research in the Gulf of Mexico, the Bahamas, Korea, Japan, Bangladesh, and South Africa. The ESL's role in tracking tropical storms and hurricanes for the Louisiana Office of Emergency Preparedness has given it an important status that has helped to justify state funding for hardware and software enhancements over the years. Combined support from the state of Louisiana, research grants, and industry has been necessary to man and maintain this state-of-the-art satellite remote sensing facility with missions of emergency response, research and education.