Long-term trends of satellite Sea Surface Temperature and Chlorophyll-a in South Florida

Authors

• L. Robinson, Hampton University
• Digna Rueda Roa, University of South Florida
• L. Verill, University of South Florida
• F. Muller-Karger, University of South Florida

Document Type

Poster Session

Publication Date

1-12-2026

Abstract

This project examined long-term trends in satellite Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) in southern Florida. The analyses utilized anomalies of these variables, effectively eliminating the seasonal cycle to prevent a skew in the results. The longterm trends in SST revealed a significant increase over time across the entire region, with spatial variations in intensity ranging from 0.03°C/year in Florida Bay to 0.06°C/year offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. The long-term trends in Chl-a exhibited minimal variation over time, with an exception of the north lower Florida Keys, which experienced a notable increase of 0.02 mg m-2/year. The spatial patterns of the long-term trends for SST and Chl-a did not coincide.

Rights Information

Terms of use for work posted in Scholar Commons.

Scholar Commons Citation

Robinson, L.; Rueda Roa, Digna; Verill, L.; and Muller-Karger, F., "Long-term trends of satellite Sea Surface Temperature and Chlorophyll-a in South Florida" (2026). Making Waves REU. 12.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/making-waves_reu/12