How can Ocean Color help Marine Managers? • The color of coastal waters can tell us much about water quality

• Satellite Ocean Color Data is a good source of water quality information

• Of the many Ocean Color products, two are most commonly used for

monitoring water quality: • Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) is the most commonly used parameter for

monitoring phytoplankton biomass and nutrient status (i.e. productivity), as an index of water quality.

• Kd(490) is the diffuse attenuation coefficient at 490nm (or light blue in the visible spectrum) and is a good measure of the total organic and inorganic matter held in solution and suspension (i.e. turbidity) within the water column.

Climatology (Normals): Chlorophyll-a (2012-2015) E. Caribbean Overview: Red box: 12-22 °N, 60-70 °W

Point A – 10km x 10km Guánica Virtual Station

Used for Puerto Rico Climatology 17.92347 °N, 66.90108 °W

Climatology = Average of all Monthly means from Jan 2012 to Aug 2015 (Our definition of “normal” expected levels)

20N

15N

70W 65W 60W

VIIRS Target Site (A) – Guánica Watershed outfall area 10km x 10km – Water pixels only

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3 ½ Year Monthly mean Time-series

chl-a

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k(490)

10 Km around Point A (17.92347 °N, 66.90108 °W) Target Site: Guánica watershed discharge site

Chl-a

(m

g/m

3 )

K d(49

0) (

m-1

)

Date Format (YYYYMM)

Tropical Storm Cristobal - > 5in @ La Parguera Tropical Storm Bertha

Large Nov Rain event - ~ 5in @ La Parguera

Chlorophyll-a --- Chl-a ---

Depth-integrated attenuation coefficient – Kd(490) (“turbidity”)

--- Kd(490) (mean: 0.052)

Kd(490)

Chl-a

--- Chl-a (mean: 0.316)

Aug 2014 Anomaly Images

Kd(490) anomaly Chl-a anomaly

Nov 2014 Anomaly Images

Kd(490) anomaly Chl-a anomaly

- 0.05 0.05 - 0.5 0.5 0 0 Chl-a (mg/m3) Kd(490) (m-1)

Red Box (circle) = Target A Guánica Watershed Outfall

Comparing monthly imagery of Kd(490) and Chl-a against the

expected Normal levels (mean)

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Monthly Mean Time-series

chl-a

0.02

0.025

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0.045

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k(490)

Large 10 x 10 degree average in box (12-22 °N, 60-70 °W) Ch

l-a (

mg/

m3 )

K d(

490)

(m

-1)

Date Format (YYYYMM) Summer Max

Winter Min

Chl-a

--- Chl-a (mean: 0.161)

--- Kd(490) (mean: 0.036)

Kd(490)

Aug 2014

Kd(490) : Aug 2014 minus Climatology Chl-a: Aug 2014 minus Climatology

0.5

VIIRS Monthly Anomalies Expanded Area (August: typically highest levels)

0 -0.05 0.05 0 -0.5

Regional View of Anomalies for most of Eastern Caribbean Basin

Reports of Potential Sargassum Invasion: 2014 & 2015

“Climatology” = Expected Normal condition for all months (Jan2012-Aug2015)

Kd(490) anomaly (m-1) chl-a anomaly (mg/m3)

Nov 2014

Kd(490) : Nov 2014 minus Climatology Chl-a: Nov 2014 minus Climatology

0 -0.05 0.05 0 -0.5 0.5

VIIRS Monthly Anomalies Expanded Area (November: typically average levels)

Kd(490) anomaly (m-1) chl-a anomaly (mg/m3)

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Geo

-Pol

ar B

lend

ed 5

km N

ight

-Onl

y SS

T An

alys

is (°

C)

SST

SST (mean: 27.96)

Date Format (YYYYMM)

Additional Information

NESDIS/STAR’s 5 km Geostationary-Polar Blended Satellite Sea Surface Temperature (SST) Time Series for

Point A, Guánica Virtual Station (17.92347 °N, 66.90108 °W)