Australian Ocean Chlorophyll Seasonal Means from MODIS Satellite

Long-term seasonal means of chlorophyll a concentrations in ocean surface waters derived from MODIS (Aqua) satellite imagery. The dataset covers the entire Australian Exclusive Economic Zone and surrounding waters, including the southern ocean, with data processed from monthly images between July 2002 and December 2017. This work was produced by the Australian Ocean Data Network with support from the National Environmental Science Program Marine Biodiversity Hub.

Use Cases

• Analyze spatial patterns of chlorophyll a concentration (mg/m3) across austral seasons to study seasonal phytoplankton blooms.
• Model long-term trends in ocean surface productivity using the 15-year time series of seasonal mean data.
• Compare chlorophyll a levels between defined seasons (winter, spring, summer, autumn) within the Australian EEZ.
• Validate biogeochemical models by using the gridded, satellite-derived chlorophyll a means as a baseline.

Strengths

• 15-year temporal coverage from July 2002 to December 2017
• Spatial coverage includes the entire Australian EEZ and surrounding southern ocean waters
• Data derived from NASA's MODIS (Aqua) sensor using standardized SeaDAS processing software

Limitations

• No individual monthly data points provided, only seasonal aggregates
• Spatial resolution and specific row/column counts are unknown
• Data is temporally stale, ending in 2017

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, supported by the NESP Marine Biodiversity Hub.

Collection Method

Derived from MODIS (Aqua) satellite images processed with NASA's SeaDAS software; seasonal means calculated from monthly chlorophyll a images.

Time Range

July 2002 to December 2017.

Freshness

Dataset last updated in April 2026, but underlying data covers 2002-2017.

Geography

Australian Exclusive Economic Zone and surrounding waters, including the southern ocean.