SARGASSUM TRACKER Saharan Dust Monitoring System

Transforming Environmental Data into Public Insight

Candela Creative Group® collaborated in the design and development of a digital platform that supports the monitoring and visualization of Saharan dust events affecting Puerto Rico and the Caribbean.

The project, led by Dr. Pablo Méndez-Lázaro, Associate Professor at the University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus, was developed to help researchers, educators, public agencies, and communities better understand how seasonal Saharan dust particles travel across the Atlantic Ocean and impact regional air quality.

The platform integrates satellite observations and environmental data from multiple scientific missions, including NOAA’s GOES-16 satellite, NASA’s MODIS instruments aboard the Terra and Aqua satellites, and the VIIRS sensor aboard the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (NPP) mission, a collaborative effort between NASA and NOAA.

By transforming complex atmospheric and environmental datasets into accessible visual tools, the system helps support research, environmental monitoring, public awareness, and informed decision-making.

The project demonstrates how digital systems, scientific visualization, and information design can help bridge the gap between research and public understanding, making critical environmental information more accessible to both specialists and broader audiences.

Project Scope

• Digital Platform Design
• Scientific Data Visualization
• Information Architecture
• Environmental Communications
• Research Outreach
• User Experience Design
• Interactive Monitoring Tools
• Scientific Visualization

Services:
Digital Systems
Information Design
Scientific Visualization
Environmental Communications
Research Outreach