NCCOS Algal Bloom Beta/Experimental Products
Chlorophyll-a: As of April 14, we switched to an improved chlorophyll-a concentration product determined by a near-Infrared to red ratio as described by Gilerson et al. (2010) in coastal regions, with an additional switch to a low Chla algorithm (OC4) below 10 ug/L.
The Harmful Algal Bloom - Forecasting Branch (HAB-FB) is a research group within the
National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science
(NCCOS) tasked with forecasting and monitoring HABs. One of the more effective ways to do so
is
through satellite based monitoring, which provides a synoptic view at high temporal
resolution. The
HAB-FB has established a routine and automated processing capability for satellite-derived
products
pertaining to the color of water. Water color can be used as proxy for various geophysical
parameters, such as chlorophyll-a, turbidity, and water depth. All of our products are
generated from
mapped reflectance products, which we refer to as "level 3" products:
- True Color : a Red, Green, Blue (RGB) composite image
- Chlorophyll-a : chlorophyll-a concentration product determined by a near-Infrared to red ratio as described by Gilerson et al. (2010) in coastal regions, with an additional switch to a low Chla algorithm (OC4) below 10 ug/L.
- Cyanobacteria Index : the relative abundance of cyanobacteria biomass as determined by the cyanobacteria index algorithm developed by Wynne et al. (2008).
- Low fluorescing Algae : the relative abundance of phytoplankton which are low or non-fluorescing and do not contain phycocyanin (non-cyanobacteria).
- Relative Fluorescence : the relative chlorophyll fluorescence representative of chlorophyll concentration for high biomass blooms, determined by the Red-Band Difference developed by Amin et al. (2009).
- Maximum Chlorophyll Index (MCI): The Maximum Chlorophyll Index (MCI) detects high biomass blooms and shows relative density patches of Chl-a, as developed by Gower et al. (1999, 2005).