Remote sensing method and field data to measure chlorophyll-a in surface waters of Chabahar Bay, Iran

Remote sensing is typically the most efficient and cost-effective method to measure chlorophyll-a (Chl-a). This study was designed to perform remote sensing of Chl-a in Chabahar Bay, located in the northern part of the Gulf of Oman, Iran, based on the light absorption coefficient of phytoplankton. Surface water has been sampled at six stations in Chabahar Bay during 2013-2015. Chl-a was extracted by acetone (90%) and the absorption (750, 664, and 630 nm) was read using the spectrophotometry method. These values were compared with data acquired by the Landsat 8 satellite to estimate the concentration of Chl-a. The results showed that Chl-a concentration was at the range of 5 to 30 mg/m3 and a positive correlation was found between the field data and satellite prediction algorithms. Generally, this study showed that Landsat satellite data can provide useful information on the spatio-temporal variations in Chabahar Bay and establish general trends that are difficult to be determined through routine ground measurements.