Posters

Poster Session 1, Monday,  October  3, 15:40–18:00

Poster 37

Ocean color changes in the North Atlantic and Arctic seas

Increased temperature observed in the Arctic affects the Arctic Ocean with respect to the sea-ice, the supply of sediments and organic matter to coastal seas and the water column stratification. Those impact the primary production and carbon cycling in the marine environment, ultimately impacting global carbon cycle. The assessment of those impacts based on traditional in situ sampling is hampered by the remoteness of and difficult access to the region. Ocean color remote sensing is therefore a powerful tool that allows for tracking changes both spatial and temporal. We used a 20-year time series of remote sensing reflectance (Rrs) data to assess the temporal changes in the ocean color in the North Atlantic and neighboring Arctic Seas. Monthly 4-km merged Rrs data (at 6 wavebands: 412, 443, 490, 510, 560 and 665 nm) were obtained through the OC-CCI initiative. Overall, a strong seasonality is observed for all wavelengths throughout the region, along with an increasing trend over time. However, contrasting differences were observed when taking into account a regional scale. In the eastern Fram Strait, Rrs value increased in the past two decades. On the other hand, values have significantly decreased in the highly productive fishing area north of the United Kingdom. Results show that there are distinct regional responses to climate change pressure in the region, as seen from an ocean color remote sensing perspective, and highlight the impact ocean color remote sensing has on the monitoring of remote areas.

Rafael Goncalves-Araujo, Technical University of Denmark – National Institute of Aquatic Resources, [email protected], 0000-0001-8344-8326 

Gesine Ramm, DTU Aqua, [email protected] 

Colin Stedmon, DTU Aqua, [email protected]