UGA Skidaway Institute grad student receives advance training at French Riviera

By MD Masud-Ul-Alam
Light, physics, sensors, satellites, and the ocean! All these are essential components of the International Ocean-Colour Coordinating Group Summer Lecture Series on Ocean Optics. I am a doctoral student at Sara Rivero-Calle’s Bio-Optics and Satellite Oceanography Lab and was one of the 24 selected participants from 19 countries. This was a training program that provided knowledge on advanced topics on marine optics and remote sensing. It was held at the Laboratoire d’Océanographie de Villefranche, which is part of the Institut de la Mer, de Villefranche at Villefranche-sur-Mer from July 18-19.

A man in a striped polo shirt and shorts kneels indoors, smiling and holding a cylindrical electronic device. Shelves with equipment and several people are visible in the background.

Masud holding an optical sensor.

The course consisted of practical and laboratory sessions, and theory lectures. The lab work included hands-on training on how to collect the highest quality in situ data and how to calibrate different optical sensors (in situ and satellite). The theoretical lectures covered the optical properties of light; interactions with marine particles; inherent optical properties; apparent optical properties; and more.

In addition, the intensive lab sessions incorporated trainings on different software and optical instrumentation, such as AC-S and HydroLight, different models for atmospheric corrections and working on a group project using Sentinel-2, and Sentinel-3 datasets.

Seven people are sitting around an outdoor table covered with a white cloth, smiling at the camera. There are glasses, bottles, and dishes on the table, with an umbrella and greenery in the background.

Masud (far right) with fellow students.

Overall, this summer course gave me and my fellow students the opportunity to meet experts across the globe and develop networks for future collaborative research work.

A marina at dusk with numerous yachts and sailboats docked, surrounded by buildings on the left and a hill on the right. People walk along the waterfront promenade in the foreground. The sky is clear and calm.

Port Lympia in nearby Nice.

I am so glad I was able to participate in this course. This was such a great opportunity to meet the ocean-optics experts across the globe and make new friends to work with. Beside the course, I enjoyed the beauty of Villefranche-sur-Mer and Nice!