scholarly journals Phytoplankton Phenology in the Coastal Zone of Cyprus, Based on Remote Sensing and In Situ Observations

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 12
Author(s):  
Monica Demetriou ◽  
Dionysios E. Raitsos ◽  
Antonia Kournopoulou ◽  
Manolis Mandalakis ◽  
Spyros Sfenthourakis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Time Series ◽  
Phytoplankton Biomass ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Ocean Colour ◽  
Chl A ◽  
In Situ Data

Alterations in phytoplankton biomass, community structure and timing of their growth (phenology), are directly implicated in the carbon cycle and energy transfer to higher trophic levels of the marine food web. Due to the lack of long-term in situ datasets, there is very little information on phytoplankton seasonal succession in Cyprus (eastern Mediterranean Sea). On the other hand, satellite-derived measurements of ocean colour can only provide long-term time series of chlorophyll (an index of phytoplankton biomass) up to the first optical depth (surface waters). The coupling of both means of observations is essential for understanding phytoplankton dynamics and their response to environmental change. Here, we use 23 years of remotely sensed, regionally tuned ocean-colour observations, along with a unique time series of in situ phytoplankton pigment composition data, collected in coastal waters of Cyprus during 2016. The satellite observations show an initiation of phytoplankton growth period in November, a peak in February and termination in April, with an overall mean duration of ~4 months. An in-depth exploration of in situ total Chl-a concentration and phytoplankton pigments revealed that pico- and nano-plankton cells dominated the phytoplankton community. The growth peak in February was dominated by nanophytoplankton and potentially larger diatoms (pigments of 19’ hexanoyloxyfucoxanthin and fucoxanthin, respectively), in the 0–20 m layer. The highest total Chl-a concentration was recorded at a station off Akrotiri peninsula in the south, where strong coastal upwelling has been reported. Another station in the southern part, located next to a fish farm, showed a higher contribution of picophytoplankton during the most oligotrophic period (summer). Our results highlight the importance of using available in situ data coupled to ocean-colour remote sensing, for monitoring marine ecosystems in areas with limited in situ data availability.

scholarly journals An Ocean-Colour Time Series for Use in Climate Studies: The Experience of the Ocean-Colour Climate Change Initiative (OC-CCI)

Sensors ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (19) ◽  
pp. 4285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shubha Sathyendranath ◽  
Robert Brewin ◽  
Carsten Brockmann ◽  
Vanda Brotas ◽  
Ben Calton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Time Series ◽  
Marine Ecosystem ◽  
Ocean Colour ◽  
Remote Sensing Reflectance ◽  
Resolution Imaging ◽  
In Situ Observations ◽  
Climate Studies ◽  
Reflectance Data

Ocean colour is recognised as an Essential Climate Variable (ECV) by the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS); and spectrally-resolved water-leaving radiances (or remote-sensing reflectances) in the visible domain, and chlorophyll-a concentration are identified as required ECV products. Time series of the products at the global scale and at high spatial resolution, derived from ocean-colour data, are key to studying the dynamics of phytoplankton at seasonal and inter-annual scales; their role in marine biogeochemistry; the global carbon cycle; the modulation of how phytoplankton distribute solar-induced heat in the upper layers of the ocean; and the response of the marine ecosystem to climate variability and change. However, generating a long time series of these products from ocean-colour data is not a trivial task: algorithms that are best suited for climate studies have to be selected from a number that are available for atmospheric correction of the satellite signal and for retrieval of chlorophyll-a concentration; since satellites have a finite life span, data from multiple sensors have to be merged to create a single time series, and any uncorrected inter-sensor biases could introduce artefacts in the series, e.g., different sensors monitor radiances at different wavebands such that producing a consistent time series of reflectances is not straightforward. Another requirement is that the products have to be validated against in situ observations. Furthermore, the uncertainties in the products have to be quantified, ideally on a pixel-by-pixel basis, to facilitate applications and interpretations that are consistent with the quality of the data. This paper outlines an approach that was adopted for generating an ocean-colour time series for climate studies, using data from the MERIS (MEdium spectral Resolution Imaging Spectrometer) sensor of the European Space Agency; the SeaWiFS (Sea-viewing Wide-Field-of-view Sensor) and MODIS-Aqua (Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer-Aqua) sensors from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (USA); and VIIRS (Visible and Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (USA). The time series now covers the period from late 1997 to end of 2018. To ensure that the products meet, as well as possible, the requirements of the user community, marine-ecosystem modellers, and remote-sensing scientists were consulted at the outset on their immediate and longer-term requirements as well as on their expectations of ocean-colour data for use in climate research. Taking the user requirements into account, a series of objective criteria were established, against which available algorithms for processing ocean-colour data were evaluated and ranked. The algorithms that performed best with respect to the climate user requirements were selected to process data from the satellite sensors. Remote-sensing reflectance data from MODIS-Aqua, MERIS, and VIIRS were band-shifted to match the wavebands of SeaWiFS. Overlapping data were used to correct for mean biases between sensors at every pixel. The remote-sensing reflectance data derived from the sensors were merged, and the selected in-water algorithm was applied to the merged data to generate maps of chlorophyll concentration, inherent optical properties at SeaWiFS wavelengths, and the diffuse attenuation coefficient at 490 nm. The merged products were validated against in situ observations. The uncertainties established on the basis of comparisons with in situ data were combined with an optical classification of the remote-sensing reflectance data using a fuzzy-logic approach, and were used to generate uncertainties (root mean square difference and bias) for each product at each pixel.

Long-term trends of surface reflectance derived from models, satellite and in-situ observations over polar areas

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Lanconelli ◽  
Fabrizio Cappucci ◽  
Bernardo Mota ◽  
Nadine Gobron ◽  
Amelie Driemel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Surface Temperature ◽  
Land Surface Temperature ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Kendall Test ◽  
Surface Radiation ◽  
In Situ Data ◽  
In Situ Observations

<div> <p>Nowadays, an increasingly amount of remote sensing and in-situ data are extending over decades. They contribute to increase the relevance of long-term studies aimed to deduce the mechanisms underlying the climate change dynamics. The aim of this study is to investigate the coherence between trends of different long-term climate related variables including the surface albedo (A) and land surface temperature (LST) as obtained by remote sensing platforms, models and in-situ observations. </p> </div><div> <p>Directional-hemispherical and bi-hemispherical broadband surface reflectances as derived from MODIS-MCD43 (v006) and MISR, and the analogous products of the Copernicus Global Land (CGLS) and C3S services derived from SPOT-VEGETATION, PROBA-V and AVHRR (v0 and v1), have been harmonized and, together with the ECMWF ERA-5 model, assessed with respect ground data taken over polar areas, over a temporal window spanning the last 20 years.  </p> </div><div> <p>The benchmark was established using in-situ measurements provided from the Baseline Surface Radiation Network (BSRN) over four Arctic and four Antarctic sites. The 1-minute resolution datasets of broadband upwelling and down-welling radiation, have been reduced to directional- and bi-hemispherical reflectances, with the same time scale of satellite products (1-day, 10-days, monthly).  </p> </div><div> <p>A similar approach was used to investigate the fitness for purpose of Land Surface Temperature as derived by MODIS (MOD11), ECMWF ERA-5, with respect to the brightness temperature derived using BSRN measurements over the longwave band.  </p> </div><div> <p>The entire temporal series are decomposed into seasonal and residual components, and then the presence of monotonic significant trends are assessed using the non-parametric Kendall test. Preliminary results shown a strong correlation between negative albedo trends and positive LST trends, especially in arctic regions. </p> </div>

scholarly journals A Prediction Model of Water In Situ Data Change under the Influence of Environmental Variables in Remote Sensing Validation

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 70
Author(s):  
Futai Xie ◽  
Zui Tao ◽  
Xiang Zhou ◽  
Tingting Lv ◽  
Jin Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Prediction Model ◽  
Environmental Variables ◽  
Time Window ◽  
Generalized Regression Neural Network ◽  
Chl A ◽  
Data Matching ◽  
In Situ Data ◽  
Relative Errors

Validation is an essential process to evaluate the quality of waterbody remote sensing products, and the reliability and effective application of the in situ data of waterbody parameters are an important part of validation. Based on the in situ data of chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), total suspended solids (TSS) and other environmental variables (EVs) measured at the fixed station in Taihu Lake, we attempt to develop a prediction model to determine whether the in situ measurement has enough representativeness for validating waterbody remote sensing products. Key EVs that affect the changes of Chl-a and TSS are firstly identified by using correlation analysis, which participate in modeling as variables. In addition, three multi-parameter modeling approaches are selected to simulate the daily changes of Chl-a and TSS under different EVs configurations. The results indicate that the highest prediction accuracy can be achieved through the generalized regression neural network (GRNN) based model. In the all-valid dataset, the testing absolute average relative errors (AEs) of GRNN-based Chl-a and TSS prediction model are 11.4% and 11.3%, respectively, and in the sunny-day dataset, the testing AEs are 8.6% and 8.2%, respectively. Meanwhile, the application example proves that the prediction model in this paper can be effectively used to screen the in situ data and determine the time window for satellite-ground data matching.

scholarly journals Water Mixing Conditions Influence Sentinel-2 Monitoring of Chlorophyll Content in Monomictic Lakes

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 2699
Author(s):  
Michela Perrone ◽  
Massimiliano Scalici ◽  
Luisa Conti ◽  
David Moravec ◽  
Jan Kropáček ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Neural Networks ◽  
Phytoplankton Biomass ◽  
Circulation Pattern ◽  
Water Circulation ◽  
Water Bodies ◽  
Mixture Density ◽  
In Situ Data ◽  
Sentinel 2

Prompt estimation of phytoplankton biomass is critical in determining the ecological quality of freshwaters. Remote Sensing (RS) may provide new opportunities to integrate with situ traditional monitoring techniques. Nonetheless, wide regional and temporal variability in freshwater optical constituents makes it difficult to design universally applicable RS protocols. Here, we assessed the potential of two neural networks-based models, namely the Case 2 Regional CoastColour (C2RCC) processor and the Mixture Density Network (MDN), applied to MSI Sentinel-2 data for monitoring Chlorophyll (Chl) content in three monomictic volcanic lakes while accounting for the effect of their specific water circulation pattern on the remotely-sensed and in situ data relation. Linear mixed models were used to test the relationship between the remote sensing indices calculated through C2RCC (INN) and MDN (IMDN), and in situ Chl concentration. Both indices proved to explain a large portion of the variability in the field data and exhibited a positive and significant relationship between Chl concentration and satellite data, but only during the mixing phase. The significant effect of the water circulation period can be explained by the low responsiveness of the RS approaches applied here to the low phytoplankton biomass, typical of the stratification phase. Sentinel-2 data proved their valuable potential for the remote sensing of phytoplankton in small inland water bodies, otherwise challenging with previous sensors. However, caution should be taken, since the applicability of such an approach on certain water bodies may depend on hydrological and ecological parameters (e.g., thermal stratification and seasonal nutrient availability) potentially altering RS chlorophyll detection by neural networks-based models, despite their alleged global validity.

scholarly journals Enhanced chlorophyll-<i>a</i> concentration in the wake of Sable Island, eastern Canada, revealed by two decades of satellite observations: a response to grey seal population dynamics?

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (23) ◽  
pp. 6115-6132
Author(s):  
Emmanuel Devred ◽  
Andrea Hilborn ◽  
Cornelia Elizabeth den Heyer
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Phytoplankton Biomass ◽  
Standing Stock ◽  
Satellite Observations ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Leeward Side ◽  
Grey Seal ◽  
Scotian Shelf ◽  
Eastern Canada ◽  
Chl A

Abstract. Elevated surface chlorophyll-a (chl-a) concentration ([chl-a]), an index of phytoplankton biomass, has been previously observed and documented by remote sensing in the waters to the southwest of Sable Island (SI) on the Scotian Shelf in eastern Canada. Here, we present an analysis of this phenomenon using a 21-year time series of satellite-derived [chl-a], paired with information on the particle backscattering coefficient at 443 nm (bbp(443), a proxy for particle suspension) and the detritus/gelbstoff absorption coefficient at 443 nm (adg(443), a proxy to differentiate water masses and presence of dissolved organic matter) in an attempt to explain some possible mechanisms that lead to the increase in surface biomass in the surroundings of SI. We compared the seasonal cycle, 8 d climatology and seasonal trends of surface waters near SI to two control regions located both upstream and downstream of the island, away from terrigenous inputs. Application of the self-organising map (SOM) approach to the time series of satellite-derived [chl-a] over the Scotian Shelf revealed the annual spatio-temporal patterns around SI and, in particular, persistently high phytoplankton biomass during winter and spring in the leeward side of SI, a phenomenon that was not observed in the control boxes. In the vicinity of SI, a significant increase in [chl-a] and adg(443) during the winter months occurred at a rate twice that of the ones observed in the control boxes, while no significant trends were found for the other seasons. In addition to the increase in [chl-a] and adg(443) within the plume southwest of SI, the surface area of the plume itself expanded by a factor of 5 over the last 21 years. While the island mass effect (IME) explained the enhanced biomass around SI, we hypothesised that the large increase in [chl-a] over the last 21 years was partly due to an injection of nutrients by the island's grey seal colony, which has increased by 200 % during the same period. This contribution of nutrients from seals may sustain high phytoplankton biomass at a time of year when it is usually low following the fall bloom. A conceptual model was developed to estimate the standing stock of chl-a that can be sustained by the release of nitrogen (N) by seals. Comparison between satellite observations and model simulations showed a good temporal agreement between the increased abundance of seal on SI during the breeding season and the phytoplankton biomass increase during the winter. We found that about 20 % of chl-a standing stock increase over the last 21 years could be due to seal N fertilisation, the remaining being explained by climate forcing and oceanographic processes. Although without in situ measurements for ground truthing, the satellite data analysis provided evidence of the impact of marine mammals on lower trophic levels through a fertilisation mechanism that is coupled with the IME with potential implications for conservation and fisheries.

Estimation of River Discharge using Multi-Mission Satellite Altimetry and Optical Remote Sensing Imagery

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Scherer ◽  
Christian Schwatke ◽  
Denise Dettmering
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Time Series ◽  
Water Level ◽  
River Discharge ◽  
Water Surface ◽  
Satellite Altimetry ◽  
Remote Sensing Data ◽  
Sensing Data

&lt;p&gt;Despite increasing interest in monitoring the global water cycle, the availability of in-situ discharge time series is decreasing. However, this lack of ground data can be compensated by using remote sensing techniques to observe river discharge.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this contribution, a new approach for estimating the discharge of large rivers by combining various long-term remote sensing data with physical flow equations is presented. For this purpose, water levels derived from multi-mission satellite altimetry and water surface extents extracted from optical satellite images are used, both provided by DGFI-TUM&amp;#8217;s &amp;#8220;Database of Hydrological Time series of Inland Waters&amp;#8221; (DAHITI, https://dahiti.dgfi.tum.de). The datasets are combined by fitting a hypsometric curve in order to describe the stage-width relation, which is then used to derive the water level for each acquisition epoch of the long-term multi-spectral remote sensing missions. In this way, the chance of detecting water level extremes is increased and a bathymetry can be estimated from water surface extent observations. Below the minimum hypsometric water level, the river bed elevation is estimated using an empirical width-to-depth relationship in order to determine the final cross-sectional geometry. The required flow gradient is computed based on a linear adjustment of river surface slope using all altimetry-observed water level differences between synchronous measurements at various virtual stations along the river. The roughness coefficient is set based on geomorphological features quantified by adjustment factors. These are chosen using remote sensing data and a literature decision guide.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Within this study, all parameters are estimated purely based on remote sensing data, without using any ground data. In-situ data is only used for the validation of the method at the Lower Mississippi River. It shows that the presented approach yields best results for uniform and straight river sections. The resulting normalized root mean square error for those targets varies between 10% to 35% and is comparable with other studies.&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals Estimation of Size-Fractionated Primary Production from Satellite Ocean Colour in UK Shelf Seas

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1389 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kieran Curran ◽  
Robert Brewin ◽  
Gavin Tilstone ◽  
Heather Bouman ◽  
Anna Hickman
Keyword(s):  
Primary Production ◽  
Ocean Model ◽  
Open Ocean ◽  
Photosynthetic Parameters ◽  
Ocean Colour ◽  
Chl A ◽  
In Situ Data ◽  
Shelf Seas ◽  
Shelf Sea

Satellite ocean-colour based models of size-fractionated primary production (PP) have been developed for the oceans on a global level. Uncertainties exist as to whether these models are accurate for temperate Shelf seas. In this paper, an existing ocean-colour based PP model is tuned using a large in situ database of size-fractionated measurements from the Celtic Sea and Western English Channel of chlorophyll-a (Chl a) and the photosynthetic parameters, the maximum photosynthetic rate ( P m B ) and light limited slope ( α B ). Estimates of size fractionated PP over an annual cycle in the UK shelf seas are compared with the original model that was parameterised using in situ data from the open ocean and a climatology of in situ PP from 2009 to 2015. The Shelf Sea model captured the seasonal patterns in size-fractionated PP for micro- and picophytoplankton, and generally performed better than the original open ocean model, except for nanophytoplankton PP which was over-estimated. The overestimation in PP is in part due to errors in the parameterisation of the biomass profile during summer, stratified conditions. Compared to the climatology of in situ data, the shelf sea model performed better when phytoplankton biomass was high, but overestimated PP at low Chl a.

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