A Model-Based Study of Phytoplankton Condition Using Remote Sensing Data for the Western Kamchatka Shelf

A method for estimating the integral microalgae biomass beneath a unit surface was designed based on a mathematical model for phytoplankton vital function in the water column and subsequently tested. The model was verified based on data collected during field studies. The results of remote sensing allow extending this method to cover large territories (areas of water). The phytoplankton abundance in the waters of the western Kamchatka shelf in a cold year was compared to that in a warm year using satellite-derived data. It has been found that in the northern part of the shelf the total phytoplankton biomass in the cold year of 2016 was generally higher than that in the warm year of 2015. According to the assessments, as confirmed by data from the literature, this may be caused by the dynamics in the phytoplankton species structure.