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Abstract.With the aim to map and monitor a low-salinity water (LSW) plume in the East China Sea (ECS), we developed more robust and proper regional algorithms from large in-situ measurements of apparent and inherent optical properties (i.e. remote sensing reflectance, R rs , and absorption coefficient of coloured dissolved organic matter, a CDOM ) determined in ECS and neighboring waters. Using the above data sets, we derived the following relationships between visible R rs and absorption by CDOM, i.e. R rs (412)/R rs (555) vs. a CDOM (400) (m −1 ) and a CDOM (412) (m −1 ) with a correlation coefficient R 2 0.67 greater than those noted for R rs (443)/R rs (555) and R rs (490)/R rs (555) vs. a CDOM (400) (m −1 ) and a CDOM (412) (m −1 ). Determination of a CDOM (m −1 ) at 400 nm and 412 nm is particularly necessary to describe its absorption as a function of wavelength λ using a single exponential model in which the spectral slope S as a proxy for CDOM composition is estimated by the ratio of a CDOM at 412 nm and 400 nm and the reference is explained simply by a CDOM at 412 nm. In order to derive salinity from the absorption coefficient of CDOM, in-situ measurements of salinity made in a wide range of water types from dense oceanic to light estuarine/coastal systems were used along with in-situ measurements of a CDOM at 400 nm, 412 nm, 443 nm and 490 nm. The CDOM absorption at 400 nm was better inversely correlated (R 2 =0.86) with salinity than at 412 nm, 443 nm and 490 nm (R 2 =0.85-0.66), and this correlation corresponded best with an exponential (R 2 =0.98) rather than a linear function of salinity measured in a variety of water types from this and other regions. Validation against a discrete in-situ data set showed that empirical algorithms derived from the above relationships could be successfully applied to satellite data over the range of water types for which they have been developed. Thus, we applied these algorithms to a series of SeaWiFS images for the derivation Correspondence to: P. Shanmugam (pshanmugam90@hotmail.com) of CDOM and salinity in the context of operational mapping and monitoring of the springtime evolution of LSW plume in the ECS. The results were very encouraging and showed interesting features in surface CDOM and salinity fields in the vicinity of the Yangtze River estuary and its offshore domains, when a regional atmospheric correction (SSMM) was employed instead of the standard (global) SeaWiFS algorithm (SAC) which revealed large errors around the edges of clouds/aerosols while masking out the nearshore areas. Nevertheless, there was good consistency between these two atmospheric correction algorithms over the relatively clear regions with a mean difference of 0.009 in a CDOM (400) (m −1 ) and 0.096 in salinity (psu). This study suggests the possible utilization of satellite remote sensing to assess CDOM and salinity and thus provides great potential in advancing our knowledge of the shelf-slope evolution and migration of the LSW plume properties in the ECS.

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An optical system is developed with the aim to detect and monitor three major algal blooms (including harmful algal blooms ''HABs'') over ecologically relevant scales around India and to strengthen algal forecasting system. This system is designed to be capable of utilizing remote sensing, in situ, and radiative transfer techniques to provide species-specific data necessary for increasing capabilities of an algal forecasting system. With the ability to measure in-water optical properties by means of remote sensing and in situ observations, the optical system developed infers the desired phytoplankton signal from spectral distributions and utilize these data in a numerical classification technique to generate species-specific maps at given spatial and temporal scales. A simple radiative transfer model is adopted for this system to provide a means to optimally interpolate to regions with sparse in situ observation data and to provide a central component to generate in-water optical properties from remotely sensed data. For a given set of inherent optical properties along with surface and bottom boundary conditions, the optical system potentially provides researchers and managers coverage at different locations and depths for tracking algal blooms in the water column. Three major algal blooms focused here include Noctiluca scintillans/miliaris, Trichodesmium erythraeum, and Cochlodinium polykrikoides, which are recurring events in coastal and oceanic waters around India. Because satellite sensors provide a synoptic view of the ocean, both spatially and temporally, our initial efforts tested this optical system using several MODIS-Aqua images and ancillary data. Validation of the results with coincident in situ data obtained from either surface samples or depth samples demonstrated the robustness and potential utility of this approach, with an accuracy of 80-90% for delineating the presence of all three blooms in a heterogeneous phytoplankton community. Despite its limitation in detecting specific species during their prebloom phases and indicating whether a particular bloom is toxic or harmful, the proposed optical system will provide managers with the specific phytoplankton bloom maps to structure monitoring efforts and a powerful tool for studying the dynamics of algal blooms at various temporal and spatial scales.

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