An Improved Eutrophication Assessment Algorithm of Estuaries and Coastal Waters in Liaodong Bay

Eutrophication is considered to be a significant threat to estuaries and coastal waters. Various localized studies on the world’s oceans have recognized and confirmed that the Forel-Ule Color Index (FUI) or optical measurements are proportional to several water quality variables based on the relativ...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Mengjun Li, Yonghua Sun, Xiaojuan Li, Mengying Cui, Chen Huang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-09-01
Series:Remote Sensing
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/13/19/3867
_version_ 1827680591484551168
author Mengjun Li
Yonghua Sun
Xiaojuan Li
Mengying Cui
Chen Huang
author_facet Mengjun Li
Yonghua Sun
Xiaojuan Li
Mengying Cui
Chen Huang
author_sort Mengjun Li
collection DOAJ
description Eutrophication is considered to be a significant threat to estuaries and coastal waters. Various localized studies on the world’s oceans have recognized and confirmed that the Forel-Ule Color Index (FUI) or optical measurements are proportional to several water quality variables based on the relatively clear Chl-a-based waters. However, the application potential of FUI in the turbid estuary with complex optics has not been explored. In this study, we selected the coastal waters in the northern Liaodong Bay as the study area, using the field hyperspectral reflectances (R<sub>rs</sub>) collected in 2018 to correct the hue angle and verify the Sentinel-2 images algorithm of FUI by in situ FUI in 2019–2020. The results show that there is a good agreement (R<sup>2</sup> = 0.81, RMSE = 1.32, MAPE = 1.25%). Trophic Level Index (TLI) was used to evaluate the eutrophication status. The relationship between the in situ FUI and TLI collected in 2018 was discussed based on the difference in the dominant components of waters, while a number of non-algae suspended solids in the estuaries and coastal waters led to the overestimation of eutrophication based on FUI. The R(560)–R(704) (when FUI is between 11 and 15) and R(665)/R(704) (when FUI is between 19 and 21) was employed to distinguish total suspended matter (TSM)-dominated systems in the FUI-based eutrophication assessment. Based on the analysis, a new approach to assessing the eutrophication of coastal waters in Liaodong Bay was developed, which proved to have good accuracy by the field data in 2019 and 2020 (accuracy is 79%). Finally, we used Sentinel-2 images from Google Earth from 2019 to 2020 and locally processed data from 2018 to analyze the FUI spatial distribution and spatial and temporal statistics of the trophic status in the northern Liaodong Bay. The results show that the northern Liaodong Bay always presented the distribution characteristics of high inshore and low outside, high in the southeast and low in the northwest. The nutrient status is the worst in spring and summer.
first_indexed 2024-03-10T06:52:46Z
format Article
id doaj.art-20b9c4a59bbf4b588aaf938eee7cbabb
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2072-4292
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-10T06:52:46Z
publishDate 2021-09-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Remote Sensing
spelling doaj.art-20b9c4a59bbf4b588aaf938eee7cbabb2023-11-22T16:42:05ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922021-09-011319386710.3390/rs13193867An Improved Eutrophication Assessment Algorithm of Estuaries and Coastal Waters in Liaodong BayMengjun Li0Yonghua Sun1Xiaojuan Li2Mengying Cui3Chen Huang4State Key Laboratory of Urban Environmental Processes and Digital Simulation, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Urban Environmental Processes and Digital Simulation, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Urban Environmental Processes and Digital Simulation, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Urban Environmental Processes and Digital Simulation, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Urban Environmental Processes and Digital Simulation, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048, ChinaEutrophication is considered to be a significant threat to estuaries and coastal waters. Various localized studies on the world’s oceans have recognized and confirmed that the Forel-Ule Color Index (FUI) or optical measurements are proportional to several water quality variables based on the relatively clear Chl-a-based waters. However, the application potential of FUI in the turbid estuary with complex optics has not been explored. In this study, we selected the coastal waters in the northern Liaodong Bay as the study area, using the field hyperspectral reflectances (R<sub>rs</sub>) collected in 2018 to correct the hue angle and verify the Sentinel-2 images algorithm of FUI by in situ FUI in 2019–2020. The results show that there is a good agreement (R<sup>2</sup> = 0.81, RMSE = 1.32, MAPE = 1.25%). Trophic Level Index (TLI) was used to evaluate the eutrophication status. The relationship between the in situ FUI and TLI collected in 2018 was discussed based on the difference in the dominant components of waters, while a number of non-algae suspended solids in the estuaries and coastal waters led to the overestimation of eutrophication based on FUI. The R(560)–R(704) (when FUI is between 11 and 15) and R(665)/R(704) (when FUI is between 19 and 21) was employed to distinguish total suspended matter (TSM)-dominated systems in the FUI-based eutrophication assessment. Based on the analysis, a new approach to assessing the eutrophication of coastal waters in Liaodong Bay was developed, which proved to have good accuracy by the field data in 2019 and 2020 (accuracy is 79%). Finally, we used Sentinel-2 images from Google Earth from 2019 to 2020 and locally processed data from 2018 to analyze the FUI spatial distribution and spatial and temporal statistics of the trophic status in the northern Liaodong Bay. The results show that the northern Liaodong Bay always presented the distribution characteristics of high inshore and low outside, high in the southeast and low in the northwest. The nutrient status is the worst in spring and summer.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/13/19/3867Forel-Ule Color Index (FUI)sentinel-2trophic level indexChina’s offshore waters
spellingShingle Mengjun Li
Yonghua Sun
Xiaojuan Li
Mengying Cui
Chen Huang
An Improved Eutrophication Assessment Algorithm of Estuaries and Coastal Waters in Liaodong Bay
Remote Sensing
Forel-Ule Color Index (FUI)
sentinel-2
trophic level index
China’s offshore waters
title An Improved Eutrophication Assessment Algorithm of Estuaries and Coastal Waters in Liaodong Bay
title_full An Improved Eutrophication Assessment Algorithm of Estuaries and Coastal Waters in Liaodong Bay
title_fullStr An Improved Eutrophication Assessment Algorithm of Estuaries and Coastal Waters in Liaodong Bay
title_full_unstemmed An Improved Eutrophication Assessment Algorithm of Estuaries and Coastal Waters in Liaodong Bay
title_short An Improved Eutrophication Assessment Algorithm of Estuaries and Coastal Waters in Liaodong Bay
title_sort improved eutrophication assessment algorithm of estuaries and coastal waters in liaodong bay
topic Forel-Ule Color Index (FUI)
sentinel-2
trophic level index
China’s offshore waters
url https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/13/19/3867
work_keys_str_mv AT mengjunli animprovedeutrophicationassessmentalgorithmofestuariesandcoastalwatersinliaodongbay
AT yonghuasun animprovedeutrophicationassessmentalgorithmofestuariesandcoastalwatersinliaodongbay
AT xiaojuanli animprovedeutrophicationassessmentalgorithmofestuariesandcoastalwatersinliaodongbay
AT mengyingcui animprovedeutrophicationassessmentalgorithmofestuariesandcoastalwatersinliaodongbay
AT chenhuang animprovedeutrophicationassessmentalgorithmofestuariesandcoastalwatersinliaodongbay
AT mengjunli improvedeutrophicationassessmentalgorithmofestuariesandcoastalwatersinliaodongbay
AT yonghuasun improvedeutrophicationassessmentalgorithmofestuariesandcoastalwatersinliaodongbay
AT xiaojuanli improvedeutrophicationassessmentalgorithmofestuariesandcoastalwatersinliaodongbay
AT mengyingcui improvedeutrophicationassessmentalgorithmofestuariesandcoastalwatersinliaodongbay
AT chenhuang improvedeutrophicationassessmentalgorithmofestuariesandcoastalwatersinliaodongbay