Spatio-Temporal Extent of Dinoflagellate Blooms on the West Florida Shelf

Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) can lead to severe economic and ecological impacts in coastal areas and can threaten marine life and human health. About three-quarters of these toxic blooms are caused by dinoflagellate species. One dinoflagellate species, Karenia brevis, blooms nearly every year in the Gulf of Mexico, particularly on the West Florida Shelf (WFS) where these blooms cause millions of dollars in socio-economic damage. In this study, we use the Red Band Difference (RBD) bloom detection technique for detection of low backscattering phytoplankton blooms, such as K. brevis, and conduct time series analyses of the spatial extent of these blooms using MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) monthly mean data spanning July 2002 (sensor inception) to September 2014. We illustrate the seasonal and interannual variability, including the extensive blooms of 2005 and 2014.