PNNL

Abstract

Satellite remote sensing imagery is being used to identify and characterize upwelling conditions on the coast of Washington State, with an emphasis on detecting ocean features associated with harmful algal bloom events. Blooms of phytoplankton, including the domoic acid-producing diatom Pseudo-nitzschia, appear to be associated with a semi-permanent eddy bordering Washington and British Columbia that is observed in satellite imagery during extended upwelling events. Strong upwelling conditions may act as a barrier to movement of these blooms onshore. Using NOAA AVHRR temperature imagery, edge detection algorithms are being developed to define the strength, location and extent of the surface temperature expression of upwelling along the coast of Washington. The edge detection technique uses a simple kernel-based gradient method that compares temperatures of pixels at a user-specified distance. This allows identification of larger features with subtle edges. The resulting maximum-gradient map is then converted to a binary format with a user-specified temperature threshold. Skeletonization and edge-linking algorithms are then employed to develop final map products. The upwelling edge detection maps are being examined in relation to harmful algal bloom events that have occurred along the coast.