The influence of increasing sea surface temperature on particulate organic carbon in Indonesian waters based on MODIS Aqua satellite

Abstract

Both Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and Particulate Organic Carbon (POC) have important roles in the marine ecosystem and carbon cycle. Therefore, we analyze the influence of SST on POC in Indonesian water. We used SST and POC products from the moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) Aqua satellite from 2003 to 2021 (nineteen years). Regression and a temporal anomaly correlation approach were applied to assess the effect of SST on POC in Indonesian waters. Our results show that the southeast Indonesian waters, south of Java Island and around the Riau Islands, mostly have a high SST variation. On the other hand, the high variation of POC mostly appeared in Indonesian coastal. During the last nineteen years, the increasing SST anomalies (SSTA) in Indonesian waters have been followed by decreasing POC anomalies (POCA). These results indicate that rising SST reduces the ocean’s ability to absorb carbon in Indonesian waters. A strong negative relation between SSTA on POCA was found from April to August and October to January in a seasonal timescale. In the interannual timescale, our result reveals that the strong negative relationship between SSTA and POCA is likely linked to the El Niño Southern Oscillation, the Indian Ocean Dipole, and global warming.