Application of dinoflagellate-specific satellite models to aid Alexandrium catenella bloom monitoring in the Bering and Chukchi seas
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Harmful algal blooms (HABs) of the toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium catenella are increasing in the Pacific Arctic due to ocean warming. threatening ecosystems and to coastal communities that rely on marine resources for their subsistence. This study explores the potential of the Sentinel-3 remote sensing reflectance ( R rs (λ) ) to detect and quantify dinoflagellate blooms in the Bering and Chukchi seas using an A. catenella cell abundance dataset to regionally parameterize and evaluate new algorithm combinations (color indexes and principal component regression - PCR). The color indexes utilize the fluorescence ( FLH ), green ( GLH ), and blue line heights ( BLH ) and the spectral difference in FLH peak to identify dinoflagellate blooms. The algorithms were parameterized and validated using 45 satellite match-ups with in situ A. catenella abundances measured over summer 2022 in the North Bering and Chukchi seas. Assuming the dinoflagellate bloom is dominated by A. catenella , the dinoflagellate index DINI ( GLH -based) and enhanced bloom index EBI ( BLH -based) provide reliable cell abundance estimates at concentrations higher than 10,000 (R 2 = 0.53) and 3000 cells/L (R 2 = 0.67), respectively. The PCR model resolves estimates at lower cell abundances (>1000 cells/L, R 2 = 0.68). Despite their higher uncertainty, color index models provide early detection and tracking of potential A. catenella blooms, as demonstrated during Summers 2023 and 2024. By providing timely and accurate information on bloom dynamics, these satellite products can significantly augment HAB monitoring systems in the Pacific Arctic. • Satellite models for dinoflagellate detection were parameterized for the Pacific Arctic. • Algal bloom taxonomic differentiation is provided by a multi-layer ocean color model. • The performance of each model is evaluated over several years of bloom observations. • Combining satellite and in situ data augments HAB monitoring in the Pacific Arctic.
Institutions: Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, University of Washington, NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, & Ecosystem Studies, NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, Norton Sound Health Corporation, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Alaska Sea Grant, University of California, Santa Cruz, NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Northwest Fisheries Science Center
Language: English
Subfield: Environmental Chemistry
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Life below water
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,750
Funders: Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies, University of Washington, National Science Foundation, Cooperative Institute for the North Atlantic Region, National Institutes of Health, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Office of Polar Programs, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory
OpenAlex ID: W4408834697