An Enhanced Biological Plume on the Continental Slope of the West Florida Shelf
An Enhanced Biological Plume on the Continental Slope of the West Florida Shelf
Abstract:
The biological river of plankton that extends from Apalachicola to the Florida Keys along the
edge of the continental slope of the West Florida Shelf is an episodic oceanic feature of the Gulf
of Mexico. Combined with the typical coastal blooms, the entire West Florida Shelf becomes an
oligotrophic ‘lake’ enclosed by relatively higher plankton blooms meandering the coast and the
edge of the continental slope. First reported in 1996 using the Coastal Zone Color Scanner
(CZCS) and later in 2002 using the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS), this
classic spring chlorophyll plume is presented here using the Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer
Suite (VIIRS), the next generation of ocean color sensors. With the advances in sensor
technology, this feature’s dramatic evolution is illustrated during its most recent manifestation in
March-April 2017.
edge of the continental slope of the West Florida Shelf is an episodic oceanic feature of the Gulf
of Mexico. Combined with the typical coastal blooms, the entire West Florida Shelf becomes an
oligotrophic ‘lake’ enclosed by relatively higher plankton blooms meandering the coast and the
edge of the continental slope. First reported in 1996 using the Coastal Zone Color Scanner
(CZCS) and later in 2002 using the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS), this
classic spring chlorophyll plume is presented here using the Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer
Suite (VIIRS), the next generation of ocean color sensors. With the advances in sensor
technology, this feature’s dramatic evolution is illustrated during its most recent manifestation in
March-April 2017.