Abstract
AbstractTo test the potential of high‐resolution satellite image analysis for assessing and predicting the mesoscale (<10 km in this study) effects of climate and environmental change on temperature and primary productivity in fishing grounds, we conducted satellite image analysis around an island in a coastal strait west of Japan from 2018 to 2023. We observed a distinct north–south gradient in sea surface temperature (SST) and chlorophyll a concentration (CHL) over approximately 20 km of the transect, which was likely affected by the current system. The model configuration suggests that the frequency of southward currents during winter–spring can control the magnitude of spring phytoplankton blooms. In the study region, an increase in SST at a rate of 0.06–0.13°C y−1 occurred during the study period, accompanied by a decrease in CHL. The north–south gradient in the rate of change suggests that the variation in the temperature and flow rate of the Kuroshio Current into the study area was due to these abrupt changes. The relationship between the annual mean SST and CHL was also spatially heterogeneous, showing a higher sensitivity of CHL to SST in the southwest of the island than in the north. In addition to the intrusion of warm and oligotrophic Kuroshio waters, the spread of less saline and more eutrophic coastal waters likely influenced this spatial heterogeneity. The satellite image analysis in the present study successfully revealed mesoscale mosaics of environmental conditions in coastal fishery grounds.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.