Consistency between Satellite Ocean Colour Products under High Coloured Dissolved Organic Matter Absorption in the Baltic Sea

Ocean colour (OC) remote sensing is an important tool for monitoring phytoplankton in the global ocean. In optically complex waters such as the Baltic Sea, relatively efficient light absorption by substances other than phytoplankton increases product uncertainty. Sentinel-3 OLCI-A, Suomi-NPP VIIRS and MODIS-Aqua OC radiometric products were assessed using Baltic Sea in situ remote sensing reflectance (Rrs) from ferry tracks (Alg@line) and at two Aerosol Robotic Network for Ocean Colour (AERONET-OC) sites from April 2016 to September 2018. A range of atmospheric correction (AC) processors for OLCI-A were evaluated. POLYMER performed best with <23 relative % difference at 443, 490 and 560 nm compared to in situ Rrs and 28% at 665 nm, suggesting that using this AC for deriving Chl a will be the most accurate. Suomi-VIIRS and MODIS-Aqua underestimated Rrs by 35, 29, 22 and 39% and 34, 22, 17 and 33% at 442, 486, 560 and 671 nm, respectively. The consistency between different AC processors for OLCI-A and MODIS-Aqua and VIIRS products was relatively poor. Applying the POLYMER AC to OLCI-A, MODIS-Aqua and VIIRS may produce the most accurate Rrs and Chl a products and OC time series for the Baltic Sea.

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

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.

Evidence for iceberg fertilization of the NW Atlantic

Icebergs are known to have a significant fertilizing impact on primary productivity in the Southern Ocean, but this link is yet to be investigated in the Northern Hemisphere. This study combines sightings of icebergs with satellite-derived ocean colour data from 1998 to 2015, to seek such a relationship in the NW Atlantic. Despite the obscuring coincidence of the seasonal iceberg flux with the spring bloom of chlorophyll, it is shown that there is a large-scale, one-month-lagged regional correlation between iceberg flux and chlorophyll levels. In addition, a spatial time-lag analysis is consistent with the main cause for the iceberg-chlorophyll relationship being through advection of the nutrients entrained in iceberg meltwater. This leads to a delayed fertilization response of 2–4 weeks. There are a range of possible sources for the nutrients likely leading to this delayed response. The Northern Hemisphere impact of iceberg meltwater on primary production is much less pronounced than in the Southern Ocean, but it is discernible.

Earth Observation products for Science and Innovation in the Black Sea

&lt;p&gt;The Black Sea is a small enclosed basin where coastal regions have a large influence and mesoscale signals dominate the dynamics (the Rossby radius of deformation is about 20km). Large riverine inputs, mainly on the northwestern shelf, induce well-marked horizontal gradients in the distribution of the Black Sea salinity and optical characteristics: coastal and shelf waters have very low salinity and contain large amounts of optically active materials (e.g. coloured dissolved organic matter) and its oligotrophic deep sea has a salinity around 18.2. The presence of these contrasting water characteristics in a relatively small enclosed environment, combined with land contamination and the specificities of its atmospheric composition(e.g. high cloud coverage, aerosols) make the Black Sea a challenging area for the development of high quality satellite products.&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We present first results from a 2-year on-going ESA-funded project, EO4SIBS (Earth Observation for Science and Innovation in the Black Sea) dedicated to the development, and subsequent scientific analysis, of new algorithms and products. In particular, ocean colour products (chlorophyll-a and total suspended matter concentrations, turbidity) were produced from Sentinel 3 (S3) OLCI data combining different algorithms selected based on an automatic water mass classification procedure (case-1 versus case-2 waters). In specific areas, S3-OLCI and Sentinel 2-MSI data were merged to address local features. A revised gridded altimetry product based on 5-Hz along track data (combining Cryosat and S3 SAR) was produced and validated in the coastal zone with tide gauge data. Sea Surface Salinity was derived from the L-Band measured by SMOS and compared with in-situ surface salinity data from field sampling and Argo.&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;All these products are now being integrated to further understand the Black Sea physical and biogeochemical functioning (e.g., plume and productivity patterns, mesoscale dynamics, deoxygenation). For instance, the Black Sea mesoscale dynamics are inferred from the 5-Hz altimetry product using an eddy detection and tracking algorithm. The quality of the eddy mapping is assessed by comparison with visible and infrared satellite products while the derived velocities are compared with drifters. Also, the benefit of assimilating ocean colour data in the Black Sea operational model (also known as CMEMS BS-MFC BIO) for the prediction of the Black Sea ecosystem will&amp;#160; be illustrated.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Gridded products are archived as CF-compliant NetCDF files and disseminated through ncWMS protocol. In-situ data are modeled as vector points in a PostGIS database. A web portal is being implemented in order to propose an efficient spatiotemporal exploration of both data sources in a user-friendly interface, including interactive map layers and export possibilities.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We conclude with a set of recommendations for observational requirements needed&amp;#160; to increase the quality of satellite products in the Black Sea and to be able to use the full potential of current and new information provided by&amp;#160; satellites.&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;