20 November 2013
Dr. Jim Churnside is a physicist at CSD, developing and applying an oceanographic lidar for airborne fisheries surveys and shipborne applications. His research interests lie in the interaction of electrodynamic waves with geophysical fluids, and the applications of those interactions for remote sensing of the atmosphere and oceans. Of special interest are the characteristics of light scattered from the ocean surface and near-surface layer and applications to remote sensing of phytoplankton, zooplankton, and epipelagic fish schools.
SPIE interviewed Jim at the SPIE Defense, Security and Sensing 2013 conference on his work in remote sensing, imaging water surfaces at sea level, and how lidar observations reveal important information about ocean dynamics and the life underwater.