Sargassum coverage in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico during 2010 from Landsat and airborne observations: Implications for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill impact assessment

Hu, Chuanmin; Hardy, Robert; Ruder, Eric; Geggel, Amelia; Feng, Lian; Powers, Sean P.; Hernandez, Frank J.; Graettinger, George; Bodnar, Jill; McDonald, Trent L.

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.04.045

Cited by 19 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…[30,47]), precluding the fine-scale description of Sargassum aggregations. High-resolution sensors on board Landsat platforms with a 30 m resolution were also widely used to map the distribution of Sargassum [43,49,50], but images were restricted to coastal areas only.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

From In Situ to satellite observations of pelagic Sargassum distribution and aggregation in the Tropical North Atlantic Ocean

et al. 2019

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The present study reports on observations carried out in the Tropical North Atlantic in summer and autumn 2017, documenting Sargassum aggregations using both ship-deck observations and satellite sensor observations at three resolutions (MSI-10 m, OLCI-300 m, VIIRS-750 m and MODIS-1 km). Both datasets reported that in summer, Sargassum aggregations were mainly observed off Brazil and near the Caribbean Islands, while they accumulated near the African coast in autumn. Based on in situ observations, we propose a five-class typology allowing standardisation of the description of in situ Sargassum raft shapes and sizes. The most commonly observed Sargassum raft type was windrows, but large rafts composed of a quasi-circular patch hundreds of meters wide were also observed. Satellite imagery showed that these rafts formed larger Sargassum aggregations over a wide range of scales, with smaller aggregations (of tens of m2 area) nested within larger ones (of hundreds of km2). Match-ups between different satellite sensors and in situ observations were limited for this dataset, mainly because of high cloud cover during the periods of observation. Nevertheless, comparisons between the two datasets showed that satellite sensors successfully detected Sargassum abundance and aggregation patterns consistent with in situ observations. MODIS and VIIRS sensors were better suited to describing the Sargassum aggregation distribution and dynamics at Atlantic scale, while the new sensors, OLCI and MSI, proved their ability to detect Sargassum aggregations and to describe their (sub-) mesoscale nested structure. The high variability in raft shape, size, thickness, depth and biomass density observed in situ means that caution is called for when using satellite maps of Sargassum distribution and biomass estimation. Improvements would require additional in situ and airborne observations or very high-resolution satellite imagery.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

From In Situ to satellite observations of pelagic Sargassum distribution and aggregation in the Tropical North Atlantic Ocean

et al. 2019

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“…Landsat imagery has been used to visualize Sargassum slicks for near-real-time warning purposes [32]. Landsat and airborne imagery were combined to examine Sargassum coverage in the region of the 2010 oil spill in the northern Gulf of Mexico [33]. However, no previous attempt has been made to map Sargassum or other floating algae using Landsat across a broad region and over several years.…”

Section: Attempts To Quantify Pelagic Sargassummentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Gower et al [16] used 1-km MODIS and 1.2-km MERIS imagery, whereas this study used Landsat with a spatial resolution of 30 m. Landsat's spatial resolution may be insufficient for more localized studies. For example, Hu et al [33] used higher resolution imagery to cor- Landsat scenes used in this analysis are noted in the far left column. The mean, standard deviation, and maximum area (km 2 ) of SPDCs are provided for two time periods, May-October and July-October.…”

Section: A Spdc In the Eastern Gulf Of Mexicomentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, estimates from this study could be refined with a validation study that combines Landsat imagery with higher resolution imagery and field observations. Such efforts are under way for the northern Gulf but are logistically difficult due to spatial and temporal limitations of imagery and the characteristics of Sargassum [33]. Research combining Landsat with higher resolution imagery has proven successful in addressing underestimates [33].…”

Section: Threats To Spdcs and Conservation Effortsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Such efforts are under way for the northern Gulf but are logistically difficult due to spatial and temporal limitations of imagery and the characteristics of Sargassum [33]. Research combining Landsat with higher resolution imagery has proven successful in addressing underestimates [33]. Such research should be expanded to develop scaling factors that can be integrated into any remote sensing assessment of SPDC.…”

Section: Threats To Spdcs and Conservation Effortsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Characterizing a Sea Turtle Developmental Habitat Using Landsat Observations of Surface-Pelagic Drift Communities in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico

Hardy

Witherington

et al. 2018

IEEE J. Sel. Top. Appl. Earth Observations Remote Sensing

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Compared with our understanding of most aspects of sea turtle biology, knowledge of the surface-pelagic juvenile life stages remains limited. Young North Atlantic cheloniids (hardshelled sea turtles) are closely associated with surface-pelagic drift communities (SPDCs), which are dominated by macroalgae of the genus Sargassum. We quantified SPDCs in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, a region that hosts four species of cheloniids during their surface-pelagic juvenile stage. Landsat satellite imagery was used to identify and measure the areal coverage of SPDCs in the eastern Gulf during 2003-2011 (1323 images). Although the SPDC coverage varied annually, seasonally, and spatially, SPDCs were present year-round, with an estimated mean area of SPDC in each Landsat image of 4.9 km 2 (SD = 10.1). The area of SPDCs observed was inversely proportional to sea-surface wind velocity (Spearman's r = −0.33, p < 0.001). The SPDC coverage was greatest during 2005, 2009, and 2011 and least during 2004 and 2010, but the 2010 analysis was affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which occurred within the study region. In the eastern Gulf, the area of SPDC peaked during June-August of each year. Although the SPDC coverage appeared lower in the eastern Gulf than in other regions of the Gulf and the North Atlantic, surface-pelagic juvenile green, hawksbill, Kemp's ridley, and loggerhead turtles were found to be using this habitat, suggesting that eastern Gulf SPDCs

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Impacts of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill on Marine Mammals and Sea Turtles

et al. 2019

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Sargassum coverage in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico during 2010 from Landsat and airborne observations: Implications for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill impact assessment

Cited by 19 publications

References 21 publications

From In Situ to satellite observations of pelagic Sargassum distribution and aggregation in the Tropical North Atlantic Ocean

From In Situ to satellite observations of pelagic Sargassum distribution and aggregation in the Tropical North Atlantic Ocean

Characterizing a Sea Turtle Developmental Habitat Using Landsat Observations of Surface-Pelagic Drift Communities in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico

Impacts of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill on Marine Mammals and Sea Turtles

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