Phytoplankton bloom detection during the COVID-19 lockdown with remote sensing data: Using Copernicus Sentinel-3 for north-western Arabian/Persian Gulf case study

Abstract

To examine whether a country-wide COVID-19 lockdown affected phytoplankton development, variability of chlorophyll-a concentrations in the north-western Arabian/Persian Gulf (Kuwait Bay) was investigated using remote sensing instruments Sentinel OLCI between 2018 and 2020 and compared to available in situ collected data. Satellite-retrieved chlorophyll concentrations considerably increased in inshore waters of Kuwait Bay, 1-2 months following the initiation of the 24/7 curfew. The extremely high concentrations of dissolved inorganic nutrients, especially ammonia, and coincided phytoplankton bloom were revealed in June-July 2020 by opportunity field sampling, supporting the satellite-derived bloom detection. Remote sensing operational monitoring with high spatial resolution sensors provides an exceptional opportunity for emergency analysis and decision making in conditions of natural or anthropogenic crises, which forces the development of regional remote sensing algorithms for the shallow marine environment of the Gulf.

Keywords: COVID-19 lockdown; Chlorophyll-a; Harmful algal blooms; Kuwait; Remote sensing; Sentinel OLCI.