Monitoring of red tides in the UAE using a qualitative satellite-based index

Abstract

The Red Tide Index (RI) was first introduced in 2006 by Ahn and Shanmugam. RI indicates the presence of harmful algal blooms as a proxy for chlorophyll-a concentration that is used in ocean color measurements. Other variables such as suspended sediments (SSC) and dissolved organic matter (DOM) are not accounted for in the RI, as it is the case in the other standard spectral ratios algorithms. Intense proliferation of phytoplankton during bloom conditions causes an increase in light absorption in the lower green to blue wave bands and strong scattering in the green wave bands. Hence, exploiting this finding, a new red tide index (RI) is established. This project aims to a) develop a qualitative index, commonly known as the red tide index, to monitor, detect, and identify possible areas of Harmful Algal Blooms in the UAE and b) verify the developed index using field and laboratory analysis for the characterization of sea water samples. The red tide index makes use of satellite imagery acquired in different wavelengths. The work includes the outcomes of the intensive field work that the Masdar’s Ocean Color team is conducting in the Gulf region to verify the developed index. We expect that the developed index provides end-users with a reliable tool to monitor red tides in the region. The implementation of the index operationally should be straightforward as it does not require extensive data processing and atmospheric correction.

Date of Award	May 2015
Original language	American English
Supervisor	Marouane Temimi (Supervisor)