Red Tide Outbreaks Research Articles

Spatiotemporal dynamics of nearshore red tides and their carbon sink potential in the East China Sea, 2012–2021

ABSTRACT The East China Sea frequently experiences red tide outbreaks, significantly impacting marine carbon sink dynamics and ecosystem health. This study examines the temporal and spatial variations of red tide events in the East China Sea 2012 -2021, utilizing MODIS remote sensing imagery with a focus on summer outbreaks. Using the Two-Step algorithm, we assess surface particle organic carbon (POC) levels in red tide-affected areas, providing crucial insights into the carbon sink potential and distribution patterns of phytoplankton. Key findings include: (1) The largest red tide outbreak area occurred in 2015, with substantial fluctuations observed along the Zhejiang coast compared to the more stable Yangtze River estuary, especially in 2018 and 2020. (2) Surface POC concentrations reached their peak at 404.37 g m−3 in the Yangtze River estuary in 2021 and 359.83 g m−3 along the Zhejiang coast in 2017, with the lowest values recorded in 2013 and 2015. (3) Spatially, The distribution of severe algal bloom and higher concentrations of POC are observed along the coastal areas of the Yangtze River estuary and Zhejiang-Fujian, but with different causes. These findings highlight the importance of red tide events in regional carbon dynamics and their role in achieving sustainable development goals.

Mechanistic characterization of dissolved inorganic phosphorus in water during the red tide

The eutrophication of water, such as excessive nitrogen and phosphorus, are closely associated with the outbreak of red tide. However, the response of dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) to red tide remained unclear in water. In this study, three species of diatoms capable of causing red tides were cultured in simulated seawater with different concentrations of DIP. The changes of biomass, chlorophyll a concentration and the carbon stable isotope composition of microalgae, the DIP concentration and pH of the culture medium were compared among the experimental groups. In addition, correlation verification was used to test the correlation between the change of DIP concentration and other indicators. The results showed that in the experimental period, the DIP concentration of each experimental group decreased significantly first, and the concentration dropped to less than 40% of the initial level. After that, the pH of the medium, the biomass, chlorophyll a concentration and carbon stable isotope composition of the microalgae showed varying degrees of increase, and then stabilized or decreased. These also marked the outbreak of red tide. Moreover, the correlation test showed that there was a correlation between them and the change of DIP concentration. Therefore, by exploring the relationship between the change of DIP concentration in water and the occurrence of red tide, this study provides a possible direction for the current prediction of red tide, and provides a basis for further investigation of the occurrence mechanism of red tide.

Dynamic causes contribute to the increasing trend of red tides in the east China sea during 2020–2022

Red tide is a marine phenomenon caused by the excessive growth of microscopic algae in the ocean. This study aims to analyze the development trends of red tides in the past 20 years and the dynamic external causes that induce red tides based on existing satellite remote sensing and numerical simulation data. And the changes in dominant species of red tides in different seasons are analyzed. The results show significant temperature fluctuations within the week before the red tide occurs, with an average increase of 1.42 °C. In contrast, the change in salinity is relatively small. Meanwhile, ocean fronts are areas in the ocean where different water masses meet and form boundaries. The average strength of ocean fronts increased by 3.7%, indicating enhanced ocean mixing over a short period of time. Under the combined influence of these factors, the probability of a red tide outbreak in the East China Sea increases rapidly. Therefore, this study has important reference value for further research on the causes of red tides and their response to ocean dynamic changes.

Observations of water optical properties during red tide outbreaks off southeast Hokkaido by GCOM-C/SGLI: implications for the development of red tide algorithms

ABSTRACT A severe red tide event, caused primarily by dinoflagellate Karenia selliformis, occurred during the autumn of 2021 in the waters off southeast Hokkaido and resulted in damage of $70 million to fishery industries. There is a high demand for early warning methods based on ocean colour observations to respond to future occurrences of red tides. We therefore used a quasi-analytical algorithm to compute the total absorption coefficient (a) from the Second Generation Global Imager (SGLI) remote sensing reflectance and assessed its potential to detect blooms of K. selliformis. We discovered that, within the same range of SGLI-retrieved chlorophyll-a concentrations, the a at a wavelength of 530 nm a(530) tended to be lower during K. selliformis blooms than during diatom blooms. The a(530) observed by the SGLI therefore showed promise as an optical property for detecting K. selliformis blooms. We discuss the reasons for selection of a(530) and the limitations of the current study’s bloom detection method.

Early Warning of Red Tide of Phaeocystis globosa Based on Phycocyanin Concentration Retrieval in Qinzhou Bay, China

Phaeocystis globose (P. glo) are the most frequent harmful algae responsible for red tides in Qinzhou Bay, Guangxi. They pose a significant threat to the coastal marine ecosystem, making it essential to develop an efficient indicator method tailored to P. glo outbreaks. In remote sensing water quality monitoring, there is a strong correlation between P. glo and cyanobacteria, with phycocyanin (PC) serving as an indicator of cyanobacterial biomass. Consequently, existing research has predominantly focused on remote sensing monitoring of medium to high PC concentrations. However, it is still challenging to monitor low PC concentrations. This paper introduced the BP neural network (BPNN) and particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO). It selects spectral bands and indices sensitive to PC concentrations and constructs a PC concentration retrieval model, in combination with meteorological factors, offering a comprehensive exploration of the indicative role of low PC concentrations in predicting P. glo red tide outbreaks in Qinzhou Bay. The results demonstrated that the PC concentration retrieval model, based on the backpropagation neural network optimized by the particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO-BPNN), demonstrated better performance (MAE = 0.469, RMSE = 0.615). In Qinzhou Bay, PC concentrations were mainly concentrated around 2~5 μg/L. During the P. glo red tide event, the area with undetectable PC concentrations (PC < 0.04 μg/L) increased by 4.97 km2, with regions below 0.9 μg/L experiencing exponential growth. Considering the variations in PC concentrations along with meteorological factors, we proposed a straightforward early warning threshold for P. glo red tides: PC < 0.9 μg/L and T < 20 °C. This method, from a remote sensing perspective, analyzes the process of P. glo outbreaks, simplifies PC concentration monitoring, and provides a reasonably accurate prediction of the risk of P. glo red tide disasters.

Establishment of colloidal gold immunochromatography strip for rapid detection of Karen mikimotoi and its application.

In China, harmful algal blooms (HABs) are one of the most prominent ecological disasters in the coastal areas. Among the harmful algae species that cause HABs, Karen mikimotoi is a kind of algae that appear frequently. It can secrete hemolytic toxins and fish toxins such as glycolipids and unsaturated fatty, posing a significant threat to marine life. In order to establish a fast and effective detection technology for Karen mikimotoi that can be promoted and applied on site, we have developed a test strip which is based on monoclonal antibody technology and the colloidal gold immune-chromatography assay (GICA). The experimental results show that this test strip can detect different growth stages including growth, and stable and recession period of Karen mikimotoi. The detection results can be displayed within 3-15min. It had high sensitivity and specificity, with a detection limit of 754 cells/mL. A colorimetric card was made to further determine the concentration of algae detected. What is more, we had developed a method that can be used for on-site enrichment of algae cells using a syringe to detect lower concentrations of Karen mikimotoi, with a minimum detection concentration of 100 cells/mL. Also the test strip was used for on-site testing along the coast of China. This test strip not only serves as a warning for the outbreak of red tide, but also provides a new approach for the development of rapid detection technology for red tide algae.

Analysis of hydrodynamic characteristics during the occurrence of red tide in the Qinhuangdao sea area

The Qinhuangdao coastal area in northern China is a significant site for aquaculture and coastal tourism. However, frequent red tides have adversely affected water quality and fishery resources in recent years. This research investigates the hydrodynamic characteristics of the area by conducting continuous seabed observations during the summer of 2019 and analyzing historical data. The goal is to identify potential impacts on bath water quality and red tide disasters. The findings indicate that Qinhuangdao falls under the diurnal tide sea area category with a small tidal range. The northern and southern regions experience regular and irregular diurnal tides, respectively, with tropic and equinoctial tides occurring every half a month. The prevailing tidal current type is an irregular semidiurnal tidal current, with M2 tidal current prevailing along the coast, exhibiting weak power and slightly higher offshore velocity. During the summer, the residual current velocity is relatively small, mainly flowing northeastward along the isobaths, while the surface residual current in the southeast of Beidaihe flows toward the shore. The area has several rivers with high summer runoff, resulting in pollutants from Tanghe, Daihe, and Yanghe river estuaries being easily transported to the beach, adversely affecting water quality and the environment. Pollutant accumulation on the north side of the bath, near the harbor area, is likely due to weak water exchange and offshore residual current inflow, which may trigger red tide outbreaks.

Effects of intrusion and retreat of deep cold waters on the causative species of red tides offshore in the South Sea of Korea

To explore the effects of eutrophic deep waters offshore on red-tide outbreaks, waters were collected from 0, 20, and 40 m depths at an offshore station in the South Sea of Korea, and the growth rate of each major red-tide dinoflagellate Prorocentrum donghaiense, Tripos furca, Alexandrium fraterculus, and Margalefidinium polykrikoides in the waters was measured. No species grew at dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentrations (DIN) of < 7.0–8.4 µM, but the growth rates of all four species rapidly increased and became saturated at 12–15 µM DIN. On July 31, 2020, the DIN was 4.1–4.6 µM in 0–10 m depth waters but 8.9–18.4 µM in 20–50 m depth waters. Under these circumstances, considering that calculated reachable depths of P. donghaiense, T. furca, A. fraterculus, and M. polykrikoides were 10, 15, 24, and 52 m, respectively, A. fraterculus and M. polykrikoides can reach the deep waters and grow, but P. donghaiense and T. furca cannot. However, if the deep waters intrude and ascend by 10–20 m relative to that on July 31, four species can reach deep waters and grow, whereas if the deep waters retreat and descend by 10–20 m, only M. polykrikoides can reach the deep waters and grow. Red-tide outbreaks by M. polykrikoides in the South Sea in 2014 occurred after the deep water retreat. Thus, the position of the eutrophic deep waters, affected by their intrusion and retreat and solar insolation, can affect outbreaks of harmful M. polykrikoides red tides.

Why do red tides occur frequently in some oligotrophic waters? Analysis of red tide evolution history in Mirs Bay, China and its implications

The process and management of red tide in oligotrophic waters are poorly understood as most studies on red tide were focused on eutrophic areas. In this study, 404 red tide events together with the historical water quality dynamics during 1991–2020 were investigated in an anthropogenically influenced bay in China - Mirs Bay, whose most region is oligotrophic except small inshore areas. Red tides of oligotrophic offshore accounted for 20 % of all. With the effective governmental management on inshore areas, concentration of PO4 and DIN has been decreased to a low level (PO4 <0.01 mg/L while DIN <0.1 mg/L) in the bay since about 2000. However, the reduction of nutrients was still accompanied by the frequent outbreaks of red tides, as well as a shift of dominant algae from diatoms to dinoflagellates, which might be due to the unbalanced nutrient reduction, such as N:P ratio fluctuation and organic nutrient increase. This shift might trigger more red tide events and even some super ones (long-duration or large-scale) in oligotrophic areas. Detailed analysis on red tide events combined with model simulation proved that the outbreak of red tide in Mirs Bay was caused by the joint contribution of nutrients and hydrodynamics. Nutrients of inshore area supported the red tides there, and with the help of physical conditions, red tides inshore could be transferred to offshore areas and then were likely to bloom again or be preyed to support blooms of other organisms. This study acknowledged that the reduction of both N and P either inorganic or organic nutrients was essential to control red tides, even in oligotrophic waters, but a balanced strategy considering the dual reduction of both nitrogen and phosphorus was of pivotal role to restore the health of coastal water systems disturbed by human.

Rapid detection method of Skeletonema pseudocostatum and preparation of test strip.

In eutrophic waters, harmful algal blooms (HAB) are particularly prone to occur, which will affect the ecological environment and public health and safety. How to quickly detect and monitor marine microalgae is the key to preventing and managing HAB. Our innovative application of colloidal gold immunochromatography (GICG) technology to detect the dominant species in red tide, Skeletonema pseudocostatum, to monitor the outbreak of red tide. The experimental results show that the method and the prepared test strips are extremely sensitive and can specifically detect the presence of Skeletonema pseudocostatum. The approximate concentration of algae cells is judged by establishing a fitting relationship between the degree of color development and the concentration of algae cells. This test strip provides a quick and easy method for routine environmental monitoring, fishery water quality monitoring, and field testing of red tide monitoring. It effectively warns of the outbreak of red tides and also provides a new application direction for GICG technology.

Algicidal Properties of Microbial Fermentation Products on Inhibiting the Growth of Harmful Dinoflagellate Species

The fermentation processes of algicidal bacteria offer an eco-friendly and promising approach for controlling harmful algae blooms (HABs). The strain Ba3, previously isolated and identified as Bacillus sp., displays robust algicidal activity against HABs dinoflagellate in particular. Microbial fermentation products have also been found to provide metabolites with multiple bioactivities, which has been shown to reduce harmful algae species’ vegetative cells and thus reduce red tide outbreaks. In this study, the microbial fermentation of algicidal bacterium Ba3 was analyzed for its potential ability of algicidal compounds. A treatment time increased the algicidal efficiency of the fermentation products against Prorocentrum donghaiense (91%) and Alexandrium tamarense (82%). Among the treatment groups, the changing trend for the 2% treatment group was faster than that for the other treatments, showing that the inhibition rate could reach 99.1% in two days. Active components were separated by organic solvent extraction and macroporous resin, and the molecular weight of the active components was analyzed by LC-MS. The result shows that the microbial fermentation products offer a potential, not practical use for controlling the outbreaks of dinoflagellate blooms. As a result of its potential application for inhibiting HABs, these findings provide an encouraging basis for promoting large-scale fermentation production and the controlling the outbreaks of red tide.

The inactivation effects and mechanisms of Karenia mikimotoi by non-metallic elements modified TiO2 (SNP-TiO2) under visible light

As an advanced oxidation technology, photocatalytic treatment of red tide algae pollution was potential of great research prospects. However, the most commonly used photocatalyst TiO2 can only use ultraviolet light with short wavelength because of its wide band gap. In this study, the non-metallic elements S, N and P were added into the TiO2 (SNP-TiO2) lattice by hydrothermal synthesis, and the inactivation effects and mechanisms of Karenia mikimotoi were studied under visible light. The particle size of the obtained photocatalyst was about 10 nm. There were obvious characteristic peaks at the (101) (004) (200) (105) (211) (204) interface and included NO bond, PO bond and SO bond. The incorporation of S, N and P reduced the band gap of TiO2 from 3.2 eV to 3.08 eV, which showed the integrity of the doping process. S0.7N1.4P0.05-TiO2 was full of excellent photocatalytic activity, the continuous inhibition effect was the most obvious. When exposed to 200 mg/L for 96 h, the growth inhibition rate (IR) was 81.8%. Photocatalytic process led to membrane damage of algal cells and collapse of photosynthetic system, caused oxidative stress response and accelerated algal cell inactivation. The study indicated that non-metallic elements modified TiO2 (SNP-TiO2) was full of potential of in treating red tide outbreak pollution under visible light.

Detection of Red Tide Over Sea Surface Using GNSS-R Spaceborne Observations

Due to the continuous intensification of human activities in the ocean, the frequent outbreaks of red tide have caused great harm to the marine environment and ecology. Thus, the rapid detection and monitoring of red tide become particularly important. At present, the main monitoring methods depend on artificial and buoy data, as well as optical satellite remote sensing. However, these methods may not be able to effectively deal with the characteristics of red tide bloom, such as suddenness and unpredictability. The global navigation satellite system-reflectometry (GNSS-R) is an emerging technology that makes use of navigation signals as a remote sensing opportunity to obtain Earth surface information. GNSS-R has already been proved to be capable of retrieving sea surface parameters (e.g., dielectric constant and sea surface roughness) closely related to the outbreak of a red tide. In this article, we proposed a new method to estimate red tide density, which utilizes an all-new model associating GNSS-R observations with sea surface red tide density. This method can remove the weather influence and greatly decrease the revisit period, which is much longer for optical red tide remote sensing methods. The Landsat-8 near-infrared data and TechDemoSat-1 (TDS-1) GNSS-R data of a red tide outbreak in the sea off the Tsingtao coast in China are used to build and test the proposed method. The results demonstrate that the correlation coefficient is 0.73, and the root mean square error of retrieved red tide density is 2.84%, which shows that the GNSS-R technology shows great potential to perform the rapid and preliminary red tide monitoring and judgment.

Spatial and temporal characteristics of harmful algal blooms in Zhejiang Province waters during 1933–2018

ABSTRACT Harmful algal bloom (HAB) data included events caused by toxic species and non-toxic species, and was collected from red tide outbreaks in the Zhejiang Province coastal waters during 1933–2018. The geostatistical tools in Geographic Information System (GIS) were used to analyse the spatial and temporal distributions of these red tide events and map the distribution of these events in the study area. The results show that: (1) three areas had very-high frequency of red tide: Shengshan waters, Eastern waters of Zhujiajian and Nanji Islands waters. (2) The red tide occurrences exhibited significant seasonality: May is the most likely time for a red tide outbreak in Zhejiang waters. (3) Prorocentrum donghaiense occurred 182 times, Karenia mikimotoi occurred 64 times and Skeletonema costatum occurred 59 times in the total events. Prorocentrum donghaiense and Karenia mikimotoi are the algae species that are most prone to forming red tides in Zhejiang waters. This study utilized a visual approach to identify the scope, distribution and characteristics of red tide in the Zhejiang Province coastal waters over the past 85 years more fully, thus providing useful information to support the monitoring and management programme for HABs.

The Bloom-Forming Dinoflagellate Karenia mikimotoi Adopts Different Growth Modes When Exposed to Short or Long Period of Seawater Acidification.

Impacts of ocean acidification (OA) on noncalcifying organisms and the possibly responsible mechanism have aroused great research interests with the intensification of global warming. The present study focused on a noxious, noncalcifying, bloom-forming dinoflagellate, Karenia mikimotoi (K. mikimotoi), and its variation of growth patterns exposed to different periods of seawater acidification with stressing gradients was discussed. The dinoflagellates under short-time acidifying stress (2d) with different levels of CO2 presented significant growth inhibition (p < 0.05). The cell cycle was obviously inhibited at S phase, and the photosynthetic carbon fixation was also greatly suppressed (p < 0.05). Apoptosis was observed and the apoptotic rate increased with the increment of pCO2. Similar tendencies were observed in the key components of mitochondrial apoptotic pathway (the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), Caspase-3 and -9, and Bax/Bcl-2 ratio). However, under prolonged stressing time (8 d and 15 d), the growth of dinoflagellates was recovered or even stimulated, the photosynthetic carbon fixation was significantly increased (p < 0.05), the cell cycle of division presented little difference with those in the control, and no apoptosis was observed (p > 0.05). Besides, acidification adjusted by HCl addition and CO2 enrichment resulted in different growth performances, while the latter had a more negative impact. The results of present study indicated that (1) the short-time exposure to acidified seawater led to reduced growth performance via inducing apoptosis, blocking of cell cycle, and the alteration in photosynthetic carbon fixation. (2) K. mikimotoi had undergone adaptive changes under long-term exposure to CO2 induced seawater acidification. This further demonstrated that K. mikimotoi has strong adaptability in the face of seawater acidification, and this may be one of the reasons for the frequent outbreak of red tide. (3) Ions that dissociated by the dissolved CO2, instead of H+ itself, were more important for the impacts induced by the acidification. This work thus provides a new perspective and a possible explanation for the dominance of K. mikimotoi during the occurrence of HABs.

Are oil spills enhancing outbreaks of red tides in the Chinese coastal waters from 1973 to 2017?

Between 1973 and 2017, evidences of red tide outbreaks and oil spill accidents in the Chinese coastal waters were collected. Statistical analysis and multiple regression models were used to determine the relationship between the red tide and the oil spill. Major findings reveal that (1) the frequency of red tides positively correlates to the number of oil spills and the volume of oil spilled as well; (2) the higher percentage of small spills (< 7 tonnes) are more likely to enhance the outbreaks of red tides; (3) both EI Niño and storm events do not show any relationship with red tides; and (4) more severe oil spill with penalty recorded implies a higher possibility to trigger the red tide afterwards. Therefore, oil spill contingency management focusing on small oil spills and mitigating their spill effect by physical measures could be of benefit to decrease the frequency of red tides significantly. For example, it is suggested to carry out physical combat instead of chemical dispersants to remove the spilled small oil in the shallow coastal areas for reducing the outbreak risk of red tides after the oil spill.

Coagulant Plus Bacillus nitratireducens Fermentation Broth Technique Provides a Rapid Algicidal Effect of Toxic Red Tide Dinoflagellate

When the toxic red tide alga Gymnodinium catenatum H.W. Graham accumulates in sediment through sexual reproduction, it provides the provenance of a periodic outbreak of red tide, a potential threat to the marine environment. In our study, the flocculation effects of four coagulants were compared. Bacteria fermentation (Ba3) broth and coagulant were combined with Ba3 to reduce the vegetative cells of G. catenatum, inhibit the cystic germination in the sediment, and control the red tide outbreak. To promote a more efficient and environmentally friendly algae suppression method, we studied these four coagulants combined with algae suppression bacteria for their effect on G. catenatum. The results show that polyaluminum chloride (PAC) is more efficient than other coagulants when used alone because it had a more substantial inhibitory effect. Ba3 broth also had a beneficial removal effect on the vegetative cells of G. catenatum. The inhibition efficiency of 2-day fermentation liquid was higher than that of 1-day and 3-day fermentation liquids. When combined, the PAC and Ba3 broth produced a pronounced algae inhibition effect that effectively hindered the germination of algae cysts. We conclude that this combination provides a scientific reference for the prevention and control of marine red tide. Our results suggest that designing environmentally friendly methods for the management of harmful algae is quite feasible.

Long-term changes in red tide outbreaks in Xiamen Bay in China from 1986 to 2017

Data on red tide (harmful algae blooms, HABs) from 1986 to 2017 in Xiamen Bay of Fujian province in China was collected. In these 30 years, a total of 53 red tide events were recorded, which mostly happened in West sea (47.3%) and Tong'an Bay (40.5%). And, red tide areas in Xiamen Bay have expanded, with the most prone area changing from West sea to Tong'an Bay. Furthermore, red tide focused on late spring and summer, including the months of May, June and July, with the percentage of occurrence of 13.8%, 26.2% and 27.7%, respectively. By contrast, red tide seldom occurred in autumn. Skeletonema costatum, Chaetoceros curvisetus and Akashiwo sanguinea were dominant red tide species in the bay responsible for red tide events on 24, 8 and 6 occasions so far, respectively. Red tide events caused by Dinoflagellates have been increasing in these 30 years. While red tide events caused by Diatom decreased in 2010s obviously compared to those in 2000s. It was suggested that changes of eutrophication degree and nutrient ratios, climate change, and sediment property maybe important factors to the long-term changes in red tide outbreaks in Xiamen Bay.

Research on Nonlinear Dynamic Analysis of the Cause of Coastal Red Tide

Li, Q.; Xu, J., and Zhu, Z.-W., 2020. Research on nonlinear dynamic analysis of the cause of coastal red tide. In: Wan, Z.(ed.), Coordinated Sustainable Development in Coastal Areas: Environment and Economy. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 109, pp. 127–132. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.Red tide is one of the three major coastal pollution problems in the world, and it is an ecological problem caused by invasive species of algae. This paper mainly studies the nonlinear dynamic characteristics of red tide and studies the influence of the external random excitation on the system. Numerical results show that the external random excitation plays an important role in the red tide bursting. At last, numerical results show that the global fast terminal sliding mode control has a very good control effect on suppressing the outbreak of the red tide.

Morphological Band Registration of Multispectral Cameras for Water Quality Analysis with Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

Multispectral imagery contains abundant spectral information on terrestrial and oceanic targets, and retrieval of the geophysical variables of the targets is possible when the radiometric integrity of the data is secured. Multispectral cameras typically require the registration of individual band images because their lens locations for individual bands are often displaced from each other, thereby generating images of different viewing angles. Although this type of displacement can be corrected through a geometric transformation of the image coordinates, a mismatch or misregistration between the bands still remains, owing to the image acquisition timing that differs by bands. Even a short time difference is critical for the image quality of fast-moving targets, such as water surfaces, and this type of deformation cannot be compensated for with a geometric transformation between the bands. This study proposes a novel morphological band registration technique, based on the quantile matching method, for which the correspondence between the pixels of different bands is not sought by their geometric relationship, but by the radiometric distribution constructed in the vicinity of the pixel. In this study, a Micasense Rededge-M camera was operated on an unmanned aerial vehicle and multispectral images of coastal areas were acquired at various altitudes to examine the performance of the proposed method for different spatial scales. To assess the impact of the correction on a geophysical variable, the performance of the proposed method was evaluated for the chlorophyll-a concentration estimation. The results showed that the proposed method successfully removed the noisy spatial pattern caused by misregistration while maintaining the original spatial resolution for both homogeneous scenes and an episodic scene with a red tide outbreak.