POSTER Session 1

Exploring the full potential of optical remote sensing and biogeochemical models in optically complex coastal waters

In the last decade, ocean color observations have been recognized as essential climate variables (ECVs) and become an integral part of ocean observing systems. While the volume of this data set increases, it remains underexploited in biogeochemical modeling and monitoring programs. Moreover, the availability of new satellites, automated measurement systems such as Bio-Argo floats, aerial drones, and computational resources presents both a challenge and an opportunity to advance integrated observing systems which combine optical observations with biogeochemical models. Recently, the need to monitor and predict the impact of extreme events on biogeochemical cycles and ecosystem functioning has become an urgent priority. Herein, we present two case studies in the optically complex coastal waters of the western Baltic Sea. These explore the seasonal impact of optically significant water constituents on surface heating rates, the modulation of thermal energy fluxes across the air-sea interface, and the relationship between co-occurring marine heatwave and phytoplankton bloom events. The case studies demonstrate how optical remote sensing used in tandem with 3D biogeochemical ocean models can extend our knowledge on surface layer processes obtained from satellite data. Moreover, they highlight the importance of the spectral distribution of the diffuse attenuation coefficient, Kd, as a bio-optical driver, providing a pathway to estimating heating rates and connecting biological activity with energy fluxes. This understanding is shaping new perspectives for long-term monitoring in coastal seas and is currently extended to the optically complex waters of the eastern Arabian Sea.

Bronwyn Cahill, Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemuende, Germany, https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3782-2553

John Wilkin, Rutgers University, USA

Ulf Graewe, Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemuende, Germany

Piotr Kowalczuk, Institute of Oceanology PAS, Poland

Arjun Adhikari, Goa University, India

Oliver Zielinski, Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemuende, Germany, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6018-5030

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