MODIS Aqua Chla

This resource is daily means of Chla measured by the Aqua satelite which represents phytoplanton in the water for the periods 2018-2023 and 2022-2023.

The Aqua satellite platform carries a MODIS sensor that observes sunlight reflected from within the ocean surface layer at multiple wavelengths. These multi-spectral measurements are used to infer the concentration of chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), most typically due to phytoplankton, present in the water. There are multiple retrieval algorithms for estimating Chl-a. These data use the OCI method (Hu et al 2012, doi: 10.1029/2011jc007395) recommended by the NASA Ocean Biology Processing Group and implemented in the SeaDAS processing software l2gen. The OCI algorithm is described at https://oceancolor.gsfc.nasa.gov/atbd/chlor_a/ (and links therein).