In addition to scientific research on global or regional biogeochemistry, satellite
Chl has been used widely for a variety of applications, from fishery and other
resource assessment to management decision support. For example, Polovina et al.
(2001) used SeaWiFS Chl in the North Pacific to define a critical habitat for fish
and turtles in the transition frontal zone at the boundary between the low Chl
subtropical gyres and high Chl subarctic gyres. Platt et al. (2003) found that the
timing of the spring algal bloom in the North Atlantic, as gauged by SeaWiFS Chl,
was closely related to larval fish survival. Soto et al. (2009) applied a 9 year
SeaWiFS Chl time series to establish a connectivity matrix for the Meso-American
Barrier Reef System. Kahru and Mitchell (2008) used global time-series data and
found statistically significant increasing trend in the annual maximal Chl in several
coastal regions between 1997 and 2007. Schaeffer et al. (2012) applied multi-year
SeaWiFS and MODIS/A Chl data over pre-defined coastal zones off Florida to
help monitor coastal bloom conditions in order to implement nutrient management
plans. Stumpf et al. (2003b) used Chl anomaly imagery to delineate potential
harmful algal blooms of Karenia brevis off Florida, where large uncertainties in
satellite Chl due to shallow bottom, CDOM, and suspended sediments are partially
compensated by the anomaly subtraction.
Due to the space limit, the scientific findings and applications enabled by
satellite Chl have only been mentioned briefly with the selected examples. Indeed,
a recent query of Web of Science using the keyword ‘‘ocean color’’ showed a
continuously increasing number of publications every year since the 1990s. The
review articles by Yoder and Kennelly (2006) and by McClain (2009) provide
excellent references for ocean color research. More recently, IOCCG published
two technical reports summarizing a variety of research and application topics
using remotely sensed Chl. These include a dedicated monograph on societal
benefits of using ocean color data (IOCCG 2008), and a volume focused on marine
fisheries, ecosystem and resource management (IOCCG 2009). With more ocean
color missions currently being planned and with the recommendations by the U.S.
National Research Council (2004) that Chl be considered a key environmental and
climate data record, one can foresee that the use of remotely sensed Chl to address
Earth Science questions will continue to increase in the future.
7.6 Future Research Directions
The biological and ecological response of the ocean to climate variability can only
been addressed through long-term and consistent ocean color observations, where
Chl plays a key role in assessing the standing stocks of algal biomass as well as
primary productivity and other biogeochemical and ecological processes. The
potential uses of validated satellite Chl data products have been well demonstrated
in the above examples and in the published literature. However, most satellite
missions have a 5 years designed mission life. Even though the majority of them
have functioned well beyond this planned duration (e.g., SeaWiFS lasted
7 Oceanic Chlorophyll-a Content
191
Chl has been used widely for a variety of applications, from fishery and other
resource assessment to management decision support. For example, Polovina et al.
(2001) used SeaWiFS Chl in the North Pacific to define a critical habitat for fish
and turtles in the transition frontal zone at the boundary between the low Chl
subtropical gyres and high Chl subarctic gyres. Platt et al. (2003) found that the
timing of the spring algal bloom in the North Atlantic, as gauged by SeaWiFS Chl,
was closely related to larval fish survival. Soto et al. (2009) applied a 9 year
SeaWiFS Chl time series to establish a connectivity matrix for the Meso-American
Barrier Reef System. Kahru and Mitchell (2008) used global time-series data and
found statistically significant increasing trend in the annual maximal Chl in several
coastal regions between 1997 and 2007. Schaeffer et al. (2012) applied multi-year
SeaWiFS and MODIS/A Chl data over pre-defined coastal zones off Florida to
help monitor coastal bloom conditions in order to implement nutrient management
plans. Stumpf et al. (2003b) used Chl anomaly imagery to delineate potential
harmful algal blooms of Karenia brevis off Florida, where large uncertainties in
satellite Chl due to shallow bottom, CDOM, and suspended sediments are partially
compensated by the anomaly subtraction.
Due to the space limit, the scientific findings and applications enabled by
satellite Chl have only been mentioned briefly with the selected examples. Indeed,
a recent query of Web of Science using the keyword ‘‘ocean color’’ showed a
continuously increasing number of publications every year since the 1990s. The
review articles by Yoder and Kennelly (2006) and by McClain (2009) provide
excellent references for ocean color research. More recently, IOCCG published
two technical reports summarizing a variety of research and application topics
using remotely sensed Chl. These include a dedicated monograph on societal
benefits of using ocean color data (IOCCG 2008), and a volume focused on marine
fisheries, ecosystem and resource management (IOCCG 2009). With more ocean
color missions currently being planned and with the recommendations by the U.S.
National Research Council (2004) that Chl be considered a key environmental and
climate data record, one can foresee that the use of remotely sensed Chl to address
Earth Science questions will continue to increase in the future.
7.6 Future Research Directions
The biological and ecological response of the ocean to climate variability can only
been addressed through long-term and consistent ocean color observations, where
Chl plays a key role in assessing the standing stocks of algal biomass as well as
primary productivity and other biogeochemical and ecological processes. The
potential uses of validated satellite Chl data products have been well demonstrated
in the above examples and in the published literature. However, most satellite
missions have a 5 years designed mission life. Even though the majority of them
have functioned well beyond this planned duration (e.g., SeaWiFS lasted
7 Oceanic Chlorophyll-a Content
191