ABSTRACT
Abstract ..........................................................................................................................................451 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................452 Materials and Methods...................................................................................................................453 Results and Discussion ..................................................................................................................453 Conclusion......................................................................................................................................457 Acknowledgments ..........................................................................................................................458 References ......................................................................................................................................458
We investigated a multisensor approach using an airborne salinity mapper and a hyperspectral radiometer together with satellite ocean color data to map salinity and water quality indicators in Florida Bay in experiments conducted in October 1997 and February 1998. The airborne salinity mapper provided the first synoptic view of sea surface salinity distribution over large regions of the bay. A salinity map of the central interior bay reveals a low-salinity regime due to freshwater discharge from the Everglades. The intricate network of mudbanks and small islands in the region also appears to influence the salinity distribution. In the western region of the bay around Cape Sable, the salinity image shows the extent of freshening of the southwest Florida Shelf waters due to freshwater discharge from Shark River Slough and its indirect influence on bay salinity. Ocean color images obtained with an airborne hyperspectral radiometer that was flown along with the salinity mapper demonstrated its utility by optically recording the effects of a storm that passed through the region. Phytoplankton chlorophyll estimated from SeaWiFS ocean color satellite data
generally indicated an increase in concentration with decreasing salinity due to possible effects of enhanced nutrients. We propose that synoptic airborne salinity mapping, together with monitoring of nutrients and ocean color, is an essential water management tool that can be used for estimating freshwater budgets to aid the restoration efforts in Florida Bay.
