Effects of Spring–Neap Tidal Cycle on Spatial and Temporal Variability of Satellite Chlorophyll-A in a Macrotidal Embayment, Ariake Sea, Japan

Abstract

We investigated the spatio-temporal variability of chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) and total suspended matter (TSM) associated with spring–neap tidal cycles in the Ariake Sea, Japan. Our study relied on significantly improved, regionally-tuned datasets derived from the ocean color sensor Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Aqua over a 16-year period (2002–2017). The results revealed that spring–neap tidal variations in Chl-a and TSM within this macrotidal embayment (the Ariake Sea) are clearly different regionally and seasonally. Generally, the spring–neap tidal variability of Chl-a in the inner part of the Ariake Sea was controlled by TSM for seasons other than summer, whereas it was controlled by river discharge for summer. On the other hand, the contribution of TSM to the variability of Chl-a was not large for two areas in the middle of Ariake Sea where TSM was not abundant. This study demonstrates that ocean color satellite observations of Chl-a and TSM in the macrotidal embayment offer strong advantages for understanding the variations during the spring–neap tidal cycle.