Monitoring HABs in the shallow Arabian Gulf using a qualitative satellite-based index

ABSTRACT

In this study, a harmful algal bloom (HAB) index, commonly known as a red tide index (RI), was developed and tested using in situ measurements in the shallow Arabian Gulf where periodical occurrence of red tide has been reported. The index is based on a combination of ratio and difference of bands centred at 443, 531, and 547 nm. The index was applied to Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)/Aqua imagery and compared with other proxies of HABs such as chlorophyll-a (chl-a) concentrations and fluorescence line height (FLH). Validation of the proposed index produced a positive correlation between the index and chlorophyll-a concentration with a determination coefficient (R²) of 0.61. Seasonality analysis of RI indicated that HABs in the Gulf region occur mainly in fall and winter. The inter-annual variations of RI showed similar patterns with the conventional chl-a product. This new index can provide insights into the dynamics of red tides and guidance for mitigation efforts, and assist in establishing an effective and timely forecasting and warning system for red tide.

Acknowledgements

The authors want to thank NASA Goddard Space Flight Center for providing MODIS data and the NASA Ocean Biology Processing Group for providing the SeaDAS software package. We give our appreciations to members in the Coastal and Environmental Remote Sensing and Modeling Laboratory for their contributions to the series of field campaigns. We are greatly grateful to the Army office of Abu Dhabi and Bayanat for providing vessels for our field surveys.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.