A new technique for retrieval of sea surface salinity (SSS) from space-borne satellite measurements of Outgoing Longwave Radiation (OLR) through the 'Effective Oceanic Layer (EOL)' is explained in this paper. The OLR is used to study the convection over the land and ocean. This study is based on the idea that intense convection over the ocean is associated with warmer surface temperatures maintained by low surface salinities formed due to large riverine input and compounded by convection-induced precipitation. This study augments the in situ SSS measurements. A preliminary assessment of deriving SSS from OLR is presented for the Bay of Bengal. It is envisaged that the SSS estimated in this way may be useful in improving the existing climatologies at least for those parts of the world's ocean where intense convection is the regular feature, such as the tropical Indian and Pacific Oceans.