Spatio-temporal variability of surface chlorophyll a in the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea based on reconstructions of satellite data of 2001–2020

Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) concentration is a primary indicator for marine environmental monitoring. The spatio-temporal variations of sea surface Chl-a concentration in the Yellow Sea (YS) and the East China Sea (ECS) in 2001–2020 were investigated by reconstructing the MODIS Level 3 products with the data interpolation empirical orthogonal function (DINEOF) method. The reconstructed results by interpolating the combined MODIS daily +8-day datasets were found better than those merely by interpolating daily or 8-day data. Chl-a concentration in the YS and the ECS reached its maximum in spring, with blooms occurring, decreased in summer and autumn, and increased in late autumn and early winter. By performing empirical orthogonal function (EOF) decomposition of the reconstructed data fields and correlation analysis with several potential environmental factors, we found that the sea surface temperature (SST) plays a significant role in the seasonal variation of Chl a, especially during spring and summer. The increase of SST in spring and the upper-layer nutrients mixed up during the last winter might favor the occurrence of spring blooms. The high sea surface temperature (SST) throughout the summer would strengthen the vertical stratification and prevent nutrients supply from deep water, resulting in low surface Chl-a concentrations. The sea surface Chl a concentration in the YS was found decreased significantly from 2012 to 2020, which was possibly related to the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO).