Evaluating the ecological status of coastal waters from a combination of satelliteobservation, modelling and field monitoring

摘要

Chlorophyll and suspended particulate matter (SPM) can be derived from satellite ocean colour data at 1 kmrnresolution over the continental shelf. Since the launch of SeaWiFS in September 1987, an historical set of spatialrndata is available over the English Channel. Together with field observations collected by conventionalrnmonitoring networks and Sea Surface Temperature AVHRR data, this builds up a comprehensive data setrncharacterising the coastal environment and its annual variability. Following SeaWiFS, MODIS and MERIS willrnprovide daily sets of ocean colour data for cloud-free sky conditions. In addition, an evaluation of the threedimensionalrnenvironmental conditions in nutrients and light in the water column is also provided byrnbiogeochemical modelling.rnThe combination of satellite imagery analysis with numerical modelling and field monitoring is a powerful toolrnfor the surveillance and management of coastal environments, in the frame of both the European program GMESrn(Global Monitoring for Environment and Security) and the implementation of the European Water FrameworkrnDirective (WFD - 2000/60/CE).rnIn order to fulfil the WFD requirements regarding the monitoring of coastal zones, a pilot project was set up tornreorganise current networks monitoring the trophic status and eutrophication problems along Normandy coasts.rnIn this project, satellite imagery is used to optimise the sampling strategy, and to bring a better understanding ofrnthe spatial and temporal variation patterns of phytoplankton blooms, within coastal water bodies (i.e. Within 1rnmile offshore, according to the WFD definition), but also at a larger scale for the whole coastal sea.