The relationship between sea surface temperature and chlorophyll-a concentration in fisheries aggregation area in the archipelagic waters of spermonde using satellite images

Abstract

Analysis of relationship between sea surface temperature (SST) and chlorophyll-a (chl-a) increases our understanding on the productivity of the ocean. Satellite images provide reliable important information on oceanographic conditions and simultaneously support marine environmental monitoring and assessment. Monthly images of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer satellite (MODIS-Aqua) derived chl-a and SST from July 2002 to June 2011 around archipelagic waters of Spermonde Indonesia were used to investigate the relationship between SST and chl-a. While the daily data were used to produce the potential fishing ground maps of Rastrelliger kanagurta at the study area. Climatological images showed that the SST during the Southeast monsoon is lower thanthe Northwest monsoon, while chl-a during the Southeast monsoon is higher than the Northwest monsoonand isscattered along the coast. SST and chl-a showed an inverse correlation, with coefficient of correlation at R = 0.542. Preferred range of R. kanagurta were 30.75 ± 0.21°C for SST and 0.31 ± 0.10 mg m−3 for chl-a. Potential fishing grounds were found located around the coast. This study indicates that satellite image is able to determine the relationship between SST and chl-a and identify aggregation grounds of R. kanagurta.