Gulf of AmericaWeather Marine Fishing Oil & Gas Ports

Ocean Conditions & Offshore Fishing

Satellite altimetry, sea surface temperature, chlorophyll, geostrophic currents and eddies for the whole Gulf of America, from NOAA CoastWatch and NASA JPL. These are daily satellite analyses, not real-time observations. Every layer shows its own observation date and data age. Not for navigation.

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Fishing Analysis

Finds altimetry grid cells (~25 km) where oceanographic boundaries coincide. This is a derived analysis of satellite data. It shows where water masses meet, which often concentrates bait and pelagic fish, but it does not predict fish.

  • Altimetry gradientSSH slope ≥ 0.3 cm/km
  • Temperature break≥ 1.0 °F within 15 km
  • Color breakChlorophyll ≥ 2× within 20 km

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Current convergence cannot be computed from this data: satellite geostrophic currents are non-divergent by construction. Strong SSH gradients mark where currents are fastest and water masses meet.

Data Information

Altimetry (Sea Surface Height Anomaly)

ANALYZED
Provider
NOAA NESDIS CoastWatch
Product
Sea Surface Height Anomalies, Altimetry, Near Real-Time, Global 0.25°, Daily (noaacwBLENDEDsshDaily)
Resolution
0.25° (~25 km)
Latest observation
Checking…
Update frequency
Daily
Units
cm (source: m)
Limitations
  • Gridded analysis of along-track altimeter passes (Sentinel-3A/B, CryoSat-2, Jason-3, SARAL); features smaller than ~50–100 km are smoothed out.
  • Anomaly relative to a long-term mean surface, not absolute dynamic topography. It does not show the mean position of the Loop Current by itself.
  • Unreliable within roughly 25–50 km of the coast and over the shallow shelf.
Authoritative source (ERDDAP)

Surface Geostrophic Currents

ANALYZED
Provider
NOAA NESDIS CoastWatch
Product
Sea Surface Currents (Geostrophic), Altimetry, Near Real-Time, Global 0.25°, Daily (noaacwBLENDEDNRTcurrentsDaily)
Resolution
0.25° (~25 km)
Latest observation
Checking…
Update frequency
Daily
Units
kt (source: m/s)
Limitations
  • Geostrophic component only, derived from sea-surface-height slope. Excludes wind-driven (Ekman), tidal and inertial currents.
  • Not valid near the equator or on the inner shelf; not a substitute for NOAA current predictions in channels and passes.
Authoritative source (ERDDAP)

Sea Surface Temperature

ANALYZED
Provider
NASA JPL PO.DAAC (served by NOAA CoastWatch West Coast)
Product
Multi-scale Ultra-high Resolution (MUR) SST Analysis fv04.1, Global 0.01°, Daily (jplMURSST41)
Resolution
0.01° native; map grid sampled every 0.1° (~11 km), point queries use native 0.01°
Latest observation
Checking…
Update frequency
Daily (about 1 day latency)
Units
°F (source: °C)
Limitations
  • Blended foundation-temperature analysis (satellite IR, microwave, in situ). Cloudy areas are interpolated, so sharp fronts can be softened.
  • Represents water just below the skin layer; daytime surface heating is not captured.
Authoritative source (ERDDAP)

Chlorophyll-a

ANALYZED
Provider
NOAA NESDIS CoastWatch
Product
Chlorophyll (Gap-filled DINEOF), NOAA S-NPP & NOAA-20 VIIRS, Near Real-Time, Global 9 km, Daily (noaacwNPPN20VIIRSDINEOFDaily)
Resolution
9 km native; map grid sampled every ~18 km, point queries use native 9 km
Latest observation
Checking…
Update frequency
Daily
Units
mg/m³
Limitations
  • Cloud gaps are filled statistically (DINEOF), so values in persistently cloudy areas are estimates.
  • Coastal and river-plume waters (e.g. Mississippi outflow) can read high because of sediment and dissolved organic matter.
Authoritative source (ERDDAP)

Eddy Detection (Cyclonic / Anticyclonic)

ANALYZED
Provider
NOAA NESDIS CoastWatch
Product
MUSTER Multiparameter Eddy Significance Index, Global 0.25°, Daily (EXPERIMENTAL) (noaacweddymunsterdaily)
Resolution
0.25° (~25 km)
Latest observation
Checking…
Update frequency
Daily, typically several days behind
Units
Eddy label (categorical)
Limitations
  • Experimental NOAA product. Eddy boundaries come from NOAA’s detection algorithm, not from this application.
  • Usually lags the altimetry analysis by several days; compare its date with the altimetry layer before relying on it.
Authoritative source (ERDDAP)

Planned layers · not yet connected

  • Sea Surface SalinitySatellite SSS (SMAP/SMOS) is coarse near the coast; coastal USGS salinity gauges are already on port pages.
  • Wave Height & PeriodCandidate: NOAA WAVEWATCH III. NDBC buoy wave observations are already on the map.
  • WindCandidate: NOAA/NESDIS scatterometer winds or NWS forecast grids.
  • Forecast Currents & SSTCandidate: NOAA RTOFS. Not published on the CoastWatch ERDDAP servers checked, so the FORECAST timeline is not connected.
  • Subsurface Temperature & Thermocline DepthRequires an ocean model or Argo profiles; not connected.
  • Dissolved OxygenNo reliable satellite source; only if an authoritative model or observing product is connected.
  • BathymetryThe basemap already shows GEBCO/NOAA relief; contours are not yet a separate layer.
  • Fishing ReportsOnly from verifiable official or attributed sources; not connected.
  • Rig / Platform PositionsBOEM platform data; listed as not yet connected in the map layers.