Better understanding of the temporal-spatial distribution of chlorophyll-a concentration (Chl-a) is crucial in controlling harmful water blooms. In this study, the dynamical change of Chl-a over the Bohai Sea and Yellow Sea from 2003-2017 were analyzed by using the MODIS/Aqua satellite data, and the effects of sea surface temperature (SST), wind and wave were investigated. The typical distribution modes of long-term surface Chl-a were extracted by using the Self-organizing Mapping (SOM), neural network model. The results showed distinct seasonal variations of the Chl-a along with a gradual increase in the study period. The total Chl-a of the whole area reached the lowest value of 2.41mg/m 3 in July, and the highest value 3.43mg/m 3 in April; though in Laizhou Bay, the Chl-a concentration was significantly higher than other regions and the value reached at the peak in September. The spatial distribution showed that Chl-a decreased from inshore to offshore. Meanwhile, from clear mode to low, medium, and high concentration modes, the Chl-a gradually increased in coverage and concentration, and modes extracted by the SOM neural network have effectively elucidated the trend of Chl-a in spatial, seasonal, and interannual variability. The Generalized Additive Model (GAM) was used to evaluate the effect of SST, wind, and wave on the changing patterns of Chl-a. It was found that there is a significant nonlinear correlation between Chl-a and SST, wind speed, mean wave direction and significant height of the wave. These influencing factors accounted for 47.9% of the change of Chl-a, which had significant effects on Chl-a change. Compared with wind speed, mean wave direction and significant height of wave, SST can better explain the change of Chl-a. Besides, wind direction and increased human activity (e.g., river discharge) played a significant role in changing the Chl-a distribution in the Bohai Sea and Yellow Sea. INDEX TERMS Chl-a, self-organizing mapping neural network, generalized additive model, environmental factors, the Bohai sea and Yellow sea.
