Validation of SeaWiFS-derived chlorophyll for the Rio de la Plata Estuary and adjacent waters

Abstract

Abstract The South Atlantic Ocean near the Río de la Plata Estuary is a highly dynamic region that encompasses four different water bodies: the Río de la Plata, the continental shelf and the Brazil and Malvinas currents. Bio-optical measurements obtained during 6–11 November 1999 provided the initial field data for validating Sea viewing Wide Field of view Sensor (SeaWiFS)-derived chlorophyll imagery for this region. The turbid waters of the Río de la Plata Estuary showed the highest variability and complexity in water optical properties, while the offshore waters of the Brazil Current had the lowest. In most cases, the estimates of chlorophyll using the SeaWiFS algorithm were higher than in situ measured values. Acknowledgments We appreciate the collaboration of Jorge Milovich of CONAE for providing the SeaWiFS data used in this study, the help of the captain and crew of the R/V Capitán Canepa, and ship time support from INIDEP. We thank Marcos Sastre for assistance with SeaWiFS image processing. This work was partially supported by NASA grant NAG13-54 and Fundación ANTORCHAS grant 13817-5. Notes An updated version of a paper originally presented at Oceans from Space 'Venice 2000' Symposium, Venice, Italy, 9–13 October 2000.