Satellite Chlorophyll-A and Suspended Particulate Matter in Bay of Fundy 2003-2021

Bay of Fundy satellite data provides median yearly and seasonal climatologies of surface chlorophyll-a concentration and suspended particulate matter concentration from 2003 to 2021. The data is derived from daily MODIS Aqua satellite imagery at 300-meter resolution. It was created by Fisheries and Oceans Canada to support analysis of spatial and temporal trends in phytoplankton biomass and water turbidity.

Use Cases

• Analyze spatial and temporal trends in chlorophyll-a concentration to study phytoplankton biomass dynamics in the Bay of Fundy.
• Model suspended particulate matter concentration patterns to assess water clarity and sediment transport across seasons.
• Compare seasonal climatology layers (winter, spring, summer, fall) to identify cyclical patterns in water quality parameters.
• Validate satellite retrieval algorithms like OCX-SPMCor for chlorophyll-a and the Nechad et al. 2010 algorithm for SPM in turbid coastal waters.

Strengths

• 19-year temporal coverage from 2003 to 2021 provides a long-term baseline for trend analysis.
• 300-meter spatial resolution from MODIS Aqua satellite offers detailed geospatial data.
• Data is peer-reviewed, accompanying a published open-access article in Estuaries and Coasts.
• Includes both yearly and seasonal (winter, spring, summer, fall) climatology summaries.

Limitations

• Data is provided as climatological medians, not the original daily time series, limiting fine-grained temporal analysis.
• The dataset is specific to the turbid waters of the Bay of Fundy, which may limit direct applicability to other oceanic regions.
• Relies on algorithmic retrievals (OCX-SPMCor, Nechad et al. 2010) which have inherent uncertainties, especially in complex coastal waters.

Provenance

Source

Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Ocean Ecosystem Science Division.

Collection Method

Processed from daily MODIS Aqua satellite data using the OCX-SPMCor algorithm for chlorophyll-a and the Nechad et al. 2010 algorithm for suspended particulate matter.

Time Range

2003 to 2021

Freshness

Data covers up to 2021; the dataset record was last updated in March 2026.

Geography

Bay of Fundy, Canada