Abstract
The algorithms of Novoa et al. (2017) and Gons et al. (2005) were recalibrated and applied to Sentinel2 data to respectively retrieve suspended particulate matter (SPM) and chlorophyll a (chl a) concentration in the environmentally and economically important intertidal zones. Sentinel2-derived chl a and SPM concentration distributions were analyzed at the scale of an oyster farm over a variety of tidal conditions. Sentinel2 imagery was then coupled with ecophysiological modeling to analyze the influence of tide-driven chl a and SPM dynamics on oyster clearance and chl consumption rates. Within the studied oyster farming site (Bourgneuf Bay along the French Atlantic coast), chl consumption rate mirrored the changes in chl a concentration during neap tides, whereas oyster clearance and chl consumption rates were both negatively impacted by high SPM concentration during spring tides.
Highlights
One of the most striking features of the intertidal zone is the formation of microphytobenthos (MPB) biofilms at sediment surface during those low tides that occur in daylight (MacIntyre et al, 1996; Paterson et al, 1998; Jesus et al, 2009)
This can result in significant enrichment of nearshore waters with a high concentration of chlorophyll a that becomes available food for suspension feeders such as the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas and other commercially and ecologically important bivalves (Kang et al, 2006; Choy et al, 2009)
It has been demonstrated that Sentinel2/Multi Spectral Imager (MSI) has the potential to map chlorophyll a and suspended particulate matter (SPM) concentration in turbid, chlorophyll-rich, intertidal waters
Summary
One of the most striking features of the intertidal zone is the formation of microphytobenthos (MPB) biofilms at sediment surface during those low tides that occur in daylight (MacIntyre et al, 1996; Paterson et al, 1998; Jesus et al, 2009). MPB main ecological functions are carried out when it is organized in the form of biofilms, benthic microalgae can be resuspended into the water column together with other sedimentary particles throughout the tidal cycle (Koh et al, 2006; Ubertini et al, 2012). This can result in significant enrichment of nearshore waters with a high concentration of chlorophyll a (chl a) that becomes available food for suspension feeders such as the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas and other commercially and ecologically important bivalves (Kang et al, 2006; Choy et al, 2009). Despite the high contribution of tidal flats to primary production (Underwood and Kromkamp, 1999), the spatial distribution and temporal dynamic of chl a concentration in intertidal waters has been little studied using ocean color remote sensing so far.
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