The spectroradiometer was built to withstand the harsh marine environment. ASD has been able to commercialize the engine of the spectroradiometer. The CCD spectroradiometers, resulting from the work on SeaSpec TM , have been used to create two commercial products. Both now enjoy popular use for coastal research. An attached fiber optic cable can then be lowered 30 feet below the surface, allowing researchers to perform the same studies as SeaSpec TM , although not at deep-water depths.
Data collected by such ocean placed sensors are important to the planet's future.
Solar irradiance measurements, for example, are helpful in understanding Earth's climate system. It is very important to establish and maintain a long-term record of this energy source. Since 1990, ASD has established itself as a leader in portable spectroscopic measurement instrumentation. A variety of applications are served by ASD equipment, such as portable, visible, and shortwave infrared spectroradiometers for the environmental remote-sensing marketplace. ASD's instruments are in wide use for geology, ecology, agriculture, and marine and coastal oceanography.