# Preface ### **A more up to date version of these resources can be found on the** [**CoastWatch Learning Portal**](https://umd.instructure.com/courses/1336575)**.** The [NOAA CoastWatch program](https://coastwatch.noaa.gov/cw/index.html) organizes a 3-day satellite course in various locations (and now online as well) every year, following the model developed in 2006 by Cara Wilson and Dave Foley from [CoastWatch West Coast](https://coastwatch.pfeg.noaa.gov/courses/satellite_course.html). **The goal of the course is to familiarize NOAA/university researchers and students with different types of ocean satellite data, different tools, and teach participants how to use satellite data in their own research using their choice of software (R, python, ArcGIS).** The course is a mix of lectures, tutorials and hands-on computer work on individual projects.\ \ All course materials were developed and adapted over the years by: * Cara Wilson, Dave Foley, Dale Robinson, Roy Mendelssohn - CoastWatch West Coast, SouthWest Fisheries Science Center * Shelly Tomlinson, Ron Vogel - CoastWatch East Coast * Melanie Abecassis, Jeff Polovina - OceanWatch Central Pacific * Michael Soracco - CoastWatch Central \ If you would like to get notified of future courses, please [email us](mailto:coastwatch.info@noaa.gov). --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://coastwatch.gitbook.io/satellite-course/master.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.