Investigations of the seasonal and inter-annual variations of phytoplankton blooms in the Arabian Gulf using satellite data

Abstract

The Arabian Gulf is a semi enclosed large water body that experiences seasonal variations and reversal of it water currents flow circulation. The Gulf waters and the north eastern Arabian Sea are characterized by high primary productivity and strong phytoplankton blooms at different times of the year. This research utilizes MODISA chlorophyll concentrations of the Gulf waters along with water and air currents patterns to identify the factors and mechanisms that regulate the variations of the chlorophyll concentrations. The major findings from this investigation is that observed chlorophyll concentrations start to increase in August reaching a peak in December due to the upwelling of bottom water currents driven by the north to north-westerly wind currents, or summer Shamal, during June-August. In the Gulf of Oman and the north eastern Arabian Sea, chlorophyll concentrations start to increase in December reaching their maximum in March due to the increased outflow from the Arabian Gulf during December-February.