Chlorophyll-a Concentration Assessment Using Remotely Sensed Data over Multiple Years along the Coasts of the United Arab Emirates

Authors

  • Eihab M. Fathelrahman Department of Integrative Agriculture, College of Food and Agriculture, United Arab Emirates University, P.O. Box 15511, Al Ain, UAE
  • Khalid A. Hussein Department of Geography and Urban Sustainability, College of Humanities and Social Science, United Arab Emirates University, P.O. Box 15511, Al Ain, UAE
  • Safwan Paramban Department of Integrative Agriculture, College of Food and Agriculture, United Arab Emirates University, P.O. Box 15511, Al Ain, UAE
  • Timothy R. Green Water Management and Systems Research, Agricultural Research Services (ARS), USDA, 2150 Centre Ave., Bldg. D., Suite 200, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80526. U.S. A
  • Bruce C. Vandenberg Center for Agricultural Resources Research, 2150 Centre Avenue, Suite 320, Fort Collins, CO 80526811, U. S. A

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.9755/ejfa.2020.v32.i5.2104

Abstract

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) recently witnessed algal/phytoplankton blooms attributed to the high concentrations of Chlorophyll-a associated with the spread and accumulation of a wide range of organisms with toxic effects that influence ecological and fishing economic activities and water desalination along coastal areas.  This research explores the UAE coasts as a case study for the framework presented here. In this research, we argue that advances in satellite remote sensing and imaging of spatial and temporal data offer sufficient information to find the best-fit regression method and relationship between Chlorophyll-a concentration and a set of climatic and biological explanatory variables over time. Three functional forms of regression models were tested and analysed to reveal that the Log-Linear Model found to be the best fit providing the most statistically robust model compared to the Linear and the Generalised Least Square models.  Besides, it is useful to identify the factors Sea Surface temperature, Calcite Concentration, Instantaneous Photosynthetically Available Radiation, Normalized Fluorescence Line Height, and Wind Speed that significantly influence Chlorophyll-a concentration. Research results can be beneficial to aid decision-makers in building a best-fit statistical system and models of algal blooms in the study area. The study found results to be sensitive to the study’s temporal time-period length and the explanatory variables selected for the analysis.

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Published

2020-05-14

How to Cite

Fathelrahman, E. M., K. A. Hussein, S. Paramban, T. R. Green, and B. C. Vandenberg. “Chlorophyll-a Concentration Assessment Using Remotely Sensed Data over Multiple Years Along the Coasts of the United Arab Emirates”. Emirates Journal of Food and Agriculture, vol. 32, no. 5, May 2020, pp. 345-57, doi:10.9755/ejfa.2020.v32.i5.2104.

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Section

Research Article