Phytoplankton Tracking by Oceanic Model and Satellite Data in the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea

Abstract

Chlorophyll-a and phytoplankton concentrations at the sea surface reduce CO2, increase O2 and indicate the abundance of fish. If they are well understood, there are enormous benefits. This study investigates the seasonal distribution of Chlorophyll-a and phytoplankton concentrations in the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea by the created oceanic model and the satellite data obtained from Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). The time-series and distribution of Chlorophyll-a concentration, phytoplankton absorption coefficient and Sea Surface Temperature are retrieved from Giovanni to analyze. The simulation is created from the seasonal winds to give the surface circulation as a result. The work is done to compare the satellite data and the simulation result. They are found to be agreed between SST, Chl-a concentration, phytoplankton absorption coefficient and ocean surface circulation. The study reaches the conclusion that the oceanic model can implicitly describe the seasonal distribution of Chlorophyll-a and phytoplankton concentrations in the domain of study.