Seasonal and Inter-Annual Analysis of Chlorophyll-a and Inherent Optical Properties from Satellite Observations in the Inner and Mid-Shelves of the South of Buenos Aires Province (Argentina)

The aim of this study is to describe and understand the seasonal and inter-annual physical and biological dynamics of the inner and mid shelves of the Southwestern Buenos Aires Province (Argentina). We used chlorophyll-a (chl-a) concentrations and inherent optical properties (IOPs), derived from ocean color products between 2002 and 2010, as a proxy for the physical and biological parameters of interest. This study focuses on the absorption by phytoplankton, aph(443), particulate backscattering, bbp(443), and absorption due to dissolved and particulate detrital matter, adg(443), and chl-a derived from a multiband quasi-analytical algorithm (QAA). A regionalization based on the coefficient of variation and the Census X-11 method were applied to define regions and to analyze the inter-annual and seasonal variability of the ocean color parameters, with regards to climate OPEN ACCESS Remote Sens. 2015, 7 11822 variability. The coastal zone presents the highest values of chl-a with two maxima in winter and autumn, while the mid-shelf shows a strong spring chl-a maximum. After 2009, all parameters under study shifted their seasonality and their magnitude changed over the entire area. In the coastal zone, mean values of aph(443) and bbp(443) increased, while in the mid-shelf, chl-a and aph(443) decreased. The observed inter-annual and seasonal behavior of the parameters is tightly related to climate variability of the study area.