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Home / International Journal of Remote Sensing, Volume 31, Number 2

Detecting the spatial and temporal variability of chlorophyll-a concentration and total suspended solids in Apalachicola Bay, Florida using MODIS imagery

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Apalachicola Bay, Florida, accounts for 90% of Florida's and 10% of the nation's eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) harvesting. Chlorophyll-a concentration and total suspended solids (TSS) are two important water quality variables, among other environmental factors such as salinity, for eastern oyster production in Apalachicola Bay. In this research, we developed regression models of the relationships between the reflectance of the Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Terra 250 m data and the two water quality variables based on the Bay-wide field data collected during 14-17 October 2002, a relatively dry period, and 3-5 April 2006, a relatively wet period, respectively. Then we selected the best regression models (highest coefficient of determination, R2) to derive Bay-wide maps of chlorophyll-a concentration and TSS for the two periods. The MODIS-derived maps revealed large spatial and temporal variations in chlorophyll-a concentration and TSS across the entire Apalachicola Bay.

Document Type: Research Article

Affiliations: 1: Environmental Cooperative Science Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, FL, USA,IAP World Services, USGS National Wetlands Research Center, Lafayette, LA, USA 2: Environmental Cooperative Science Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, FL, USA,Department of Marine Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA 3: Environmental Cooperative Science Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, FL, USA 4: Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Apalachicola, FL, USA 5: Environmental Cooperative Science Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, FL, USA,Harwell Gentile & Associates, LC, Palm Coast, FL, USA

Publication date: 01 March 2010

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