Remote sensing for water quality monitoring in Apalachicola bay, USA

Abstract

In this paper, we provide a review on remote sensing of water quality in coastal and estuarine ecosystems. As a case study, we further describe the use of remote sensing to estimate total suspended solids (TSS) and chlorophyll-A in an estuarine ecosystem, apalachicola Bay, which is located along the northeastern Gulf of Mexico, USA. Based on the remote sensor data and the regression models derived for the Apalachicola Bay, we found that TSS concentrations indicate strong sediment resuspension, which may be induced by the passage of Hurricane Frances in 2004. We also examine the effects of river flow on estuarine chlorophyll-A concentrations by using remote sensor data, showing higher chlorophyll-A concentrations during the high-flow season. This study demonstrates that remote sensing can be used as an effective tool for water-quality monitoring in coastal ecosystems. © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.