Analysis of Suspended-Sediment Dynamics in Gulf of Mexico Estuaries Using MODIS/Terra 250-m Imagery

Daniel Brooks Otis1, Matthew James McCarthy1, Frank E Muller-Karger2, Pablo Mendez-Lazaro3 and F. Robert Chen1, (1)University of South Florida St. Petersburg, IMaRS, St Petersburg, FL, United States, (2)University of South Florida Tampa, Tampa, FL, United States, (3)University of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras Campus, Environmental Health Department, Cidra, PR, United States
Abstract:
Suspended sediments in coastal ecosystems reduce light penetration, degrade water quality, and inhibit primary production. In this study, a 15-year Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS/Terra) turbidity time-series was developed for use in the estuaries of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). Remote-sensing reflectance (Rrs) at 645 nm and 250-m resolution was validated with in-situ turbidity measurements in these estuaries: Coastal Bend Bays (TX), Galveston Bay (TX), Barataria and Terrebonne Bays (LA), Mobile Bay (AL), Tampa Bay (FL), Sarasota Bay (FL), and Charlotte Harbor (FL). Mean values of turbidity over the time-series ranged from ~2.5 NTU to over 10 NTU. Turbidity patterns exhibited seasonal cycles with peak values generally found during spring months, although there is considerable variability in the timing of peak turbidity. Episodes of elevated turbidity ranged from 6 episodes in Galveston Bay to 15 in Mobile Bay. The spatial extent of elevated turbidity within estuaries, frequency and duration of turbidity events, and potential driving factors behind episodes of elevated turbidity were also examined.
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