HR: 1340h
AN: IN23A-0952    [Abstracts]
TI: Mapping the levels of eutrophication concentration in the Gulf of Mexico using high resolution ocean color data
AU: * Baruah, A
EM: angira@umd.edu
AF: University of Maryland, Department of Geography, 2181 LeFrak Hall, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742,
AU: Kearney, M
EM: mkearney01@yahoo.com
AF: University of Maryland, Department of Geography, 2181 LeFrak Hall, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742,
AB: Coastal eutrophication is a major global environmental problem that is caused by the increased use of nutrients primarily nitrogen and phosphorus that are brought down by the rivers to the coasts. The influx of excess nutrients to the coasts degrades water quality by stimulating excess phytoplankton or macroalgae growth including some noxious and toxic algal species. During the warm summer months, oxygen levels in the Mississippi plume region of the Gulf of Mexico fall from healthy concentrations to 2-3 milligrams per liter leading to hypoxia—a low-oxygen condition that can be stressful or fatal to marine life. An improved scientific understanding of the biological processes of the inland waters of the bay to various perturbations requires the routine acquisition of high resolution time series data to synoptically characterize large scale trends and water quality parameters that can be derived only from remote sensing instruments. This study is intended to explore the capability of high resolution ocean color remote sensing data to model hypoxia through monitoring phytoplankton blooms in the Dead Zone, especially the changes in boundary conditions that often accompany tropical storms. High resolution (250 m) MODIS (Aqua) data will be used to infer the spectral characteristics of the coastal waters in the Gulf. Phytoplankton blooms will be used as a precursor for anoxia. High phytoplankton blooms would indicate a likelihood of hypoxia. The spectral characteristics of the water will then be validated with the oxygen content of the water obtained from cruise data. The Canonical Correlation technique will be used to study the correlation between the spectral characteristics of the water in the Gulf and the oxygen levels derived from cruises.
DE: 4802 Anoxic environments (0404, 1803, 4834, 4902)
DE: 4834 Hypoxic environments (0404, 4802)
SC: Earth and Space Science Informatics [IN]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting