Developing a Monitoring Support Model for Chlorophyll a Concentration in the James River Estuary Using MODIS Images

Conventional assessment procedures for Chlorophyll a concentration are typically consist of field grab samplings followed by the laboratory assay, that both require considerable time, effort and resources. NASA's Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite imageries cover extensive areas with daily frequency, providing an aggregated view of the James River estuary in multi-spectral bands. When these high spectral, spatial and temporal characteristics of MODIS imagery are coupled with conventional field water, quality monitoring data, the regional scale spatiotemporal characteristics of algal growth in the lowest tributary on the Chesapeake Bay can be effectively identified. In this study, the Chlorophyll a monitoring support model was developed by utilizing MODIS remote sensed data in conjunction with continuous track monitoring data and laboratory data in the saline portion of the James River estuary. Particularly, ambient water temperature was included to the model as a transfer function representing dissolved oxygen and degree of ambient water kinetics describing fate and utilization of nutrients by the phytoplankton biomass.