Sargassum Coverage in the Northeastern Gulf of Mexico during 2010 from Landsat and Airborne Observations: Implications for the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Impact Assessment

Authors

Chuanmin Hu, University of South FloridaFollow
Robert Hardy, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Eric Ruder, Industrial Economics, Incorporated, 2067 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02140, USA
Amelia Geggel, Industrial Economics, Incorporated, 2067 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02140, USA
Lian Feng, University of South Florida
Sean Powers, University of South Alabama
Frank Hernandez, University of Southern Mississippi
George Graettinger, NOAA Office of Response & Restoration, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115, USA
Jill Bodnar, NOAA Office of Response & Restoration, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115, USA
Trent McDonald, Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc., 200 S. Second Street, Laramie, WY 82070, USA

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2016

Keywords

Sargassum, Landsat, AVIRIS, Gulf of Mexico, Deepwater Horizon, Remote sensing

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.04.045

Abstract

Using high-resolution airborne measurements and more synoptic coverage of Landsat measurements, we estimated the total Sargassum coverage in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico (NE GOM) during 2010, with the ultimate purpose to infer how much Sargassum might have been in contact with oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Mean Sargassum coverage during the four quarters of 2010 for the study region was estimated to range from ~ 3148 ± 2355 km² during January–March to ~ 7584 ± 2532 km² during July–September (95% confidence intervals) while estimated Sargassum coverage within the integrated oil footprint ranged from 1296 ± 453 km² (for areas with > 5% thick oil) to 736 ± 257 km² (for areas with > 10% thick oil). Similar to previous studies on estimating Sargassum coverage, a direct validation of such estimates is impossible given the heterogeneity and scarcity of Sargassum occurrence. Nonetheless, these estimates provide preliminary information to understand relative Sargassum abundance in the NE GOM.

Was this content written or created while at USF?

Yes

Citation / Publisher Attribution

Marine Pollution Bulletin, v. 107, issue 1, p. 15-21

Scholar Commons Citation

Hu, Chuanmin; Hardy, Robert; Ruder, Eric; Geggel, Amelia; Feng, Lian; Powers, Sean; Hernandez, Frank; Graettinger, George; Bodnar, Jill; and McDonald, Trent, "Sargassum Coverage in the Northeastern Gulf of Mexico during 2010 from Landsat and Airborne Observations: Implications for the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Impact Assessment" (2016). Marine Science Faculty Publications. 1957.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/msc_facpub/1957