The MODIS Derived Chlorophyll a dataset measures long-term seasonal variations of chlorophyll a concentrations in ocean surface waters. It is derived from MODIS (Aqua) satellite images processed with NASA's SeaDAS software, covering the Australian EEZ and surrounding waters from July 2002 to December 2017. This research is supported by the National Environmental Science Program (NESP) Marine Biodiversity Hub.
Use Cases
- Analyze seasonal phytoplankton bloom patterns based on chlorophyll a concentration variations.
- Study long-term changes in ocean productivity based on a 15-year time series.
- Model marine ecosystem health in the Australian EEZ based on satellite-derived chlorophyll data.
- Validate oceanographic models using spatially extensive chlorophyll a measurements.
Strengths
- Provides a 15-year time series from July 2002 to December 2017.
- Covers a large geographic extent including the entire Australian EEZ and southern ocean.
- Derived from a consistent, authoritative satellite source (MODIS Aqua) and processing software (NASA SeaDAS).
Limitations
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
- Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
- Data freshness should be verified; last metadata update was 2026-05-05.
Provenance
- Source
- Australian Ocean Data Network
- Collection Method
- Derived from MODIS (Aqua) satellite images using NASA's SeaDAS image processing software.
- Time Range
- July 2002 to December 2017
- Geography
- Australian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and surrounding waters (including the southern ocean)