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  • Remotely Sensing The Effects of An Oil Spill On Kelp Forests in The Santa Barbara Channel

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    Luke Espina, Macaulay Honors College at the City College of New York, CUNY On May 19, 2015, an estimated 20,000 gallons of oil leaked into the Santa Barbara Channel via the Refugio Oil Spill. While the spill's impacts, aesthetic and ecological, were very pronounced on shorelines in close proximity to the spill, its effects on offshore kelp forests are more difficult to observe. Here we employ satellite remote sensing techniques to examine the potential physiological effects of the Refugio Oil Spill on kelp forests within the Santa Barbara Channel by comparing relative biomass, fluorescence line height (FLH), and absorption of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) (assumed proxies for physiological health of kelp forests) of nearby kelp forests before and after the Refugio Oil Spill. Relative kelp biomass was obtained by employing an NDVI algorithm on Landsat 7 ETM+ data, while FLH and CDOM were obtained directly from MODIS Level 2 Ocean Color data. Our findings indicate an increase and a decrease in relative kelp biomass west and east of the Refugio Oil Spill site respectively, as well as a significant spike in CDOM throughout the kelp forest associated with the Refugio Oil Spill. These findings indicate a potential change in kelp forest physiology associated with the Refugio Oil Spill, but additional work is needed to further validate this assertion.

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    Remotely Sensing the Effects of an Oil Spill on Kelp Forests in the Santa Barbara Channel

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    Luke Espina, Macaulay Honors College at the City College of New York, CUNY On May 19, 2015, an estimated 20,000 gallons of oil leaked into the Santa Barbara Channel via the Refugio Oil Spill. While the spill's impacts, aesthetic and ecological, were very pronounced on shorelines in close proximity to the spill, its effects on offshore kelp forests are more difficult to observe. Here we employ satellite remote sensing techniques to examine the potential physiological effects of the Refugio Oil Spill on kelp forests within the Santa Barbara Channel by comparing relative biomass, fluorescence line height (FLH), and absorption of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) (assumed proxies for physiological health of kelp forests) of nearby kelp forests before and after the Refugio Oil Spill. Relative kelp biomass was obtained by employing an NDVI algorithm on Landsat 7 ETM+ data, while FLH and CDOM were obtained directly from MODIS Level 2 Ocean Color data. Our findings indicate an increase and a decrease in relative kelp biomass west and east of the Refugio Oil Spill site respectively, as well as a significant spike in CDOM throughout the kelp forest associated with the Refugio Oil Spill. These findings indicate a potential change in kelp forest physiology associated with the Refugio Oil Spill, but additional work is needed to further validate this assertion.

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    399 views44 pages

    Remotely Sensing The Effects of An Oil Spill On Kelp Forests in The Santa Barbara Channel

    Uploaded by

    jpeterson1
    Luke Espina, Macaulay Honors College at the City College of New York, CUNY On May 19, 2015, an estimated 20,000 gallons of oil leaked into the Santa Barbara Channel via the Refugio Oil Spill. While the spill's impacts, aesthetic and ecological, were very pronounced on shorelines in close proximity to the spill, its effects on offshore kelp forests are more difficult to observe. Here we employ satellite remote sensing techniques to examine the potential physiological effects of the Refugio Oil Spill on kelp forests within the Santa Barbara Channel by comparing relative biomass, fluorescence line height (FLH), and absorption of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) (assumed proxies for physiological health of kelp forests) of nearby kelp forests before and after the Refugio Oil Spill. Relative kelp biomass was obtained by employing an NDVI algorithm on Landsat 7 ETM+ data, while FLH and CDOM were obtained directly from MODIS Level 2 Ocean Color data. Our findings indicate an increase and a decrease in relative kelp biomass west and east of the Refugio Oil Spill site respectively, as well as a significant spike in CDOM throughout the kelp forest associated with the Refugio Oil Spill. These findings indicate a potential change in kelp forest physiology associated with the Refugio Oil Spill, but additional work is needed to further validate this assertion.

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    of 44

    Remotely

    Sensing the Eects of an


    Oil Spill on Kelp Forests in the
    Santa Barbara Channel
    Luke Espina
    Macaulay Honors College at CUNY 2016

    Faculty Advisor: Dr. Raphael Kudela
    Mentor: Jesse Bausell

    The InspiraLon: Refugio Oil Spill


    Time: May 19th, 2015
    Place: Santa Barbara Channel (Refugio State
    Beach)

    Oil Spills
    Ecologically
    devastaLng!
    Important to
    environmental
    groups and industry

    Refugio Oil Spill Site

    Kelp Forests!

    Giant Kelp

    (Macrocys(s pyrifera)

    Easy to remote
    sense
    FloaLng canopy on
    water

    Ecologically
    important
    PopulaLon
    dynamics aect
    area ecology

    The Opportunity: Remote Sensing


    Not many spills occur around kelp populaLons
    Most of the studies have been done before
    the age of remote sensing

    My QuesLon:

    Case Study:
    How do kelp forests in the Santa Barbara
    Channel change around the May 19th, 2015
    Refugio Oil Spill?

    Case Study:
    How do kelp forests in the Santa Barbara
    Channel change around the May 19th, 2015
    Refugio Oil Spill?
    > Provide a starLng point for future research
    > Provide indicaLons of possible trends

    Remote Sensing: Landsat 7


    Pros:
    MulLple images before and a`er spill
    Track changes in kelp biomass!
    Cons:
    Poor spectral resoluLon

    Imaging the Kelp

    Example true-color Landsat 7 Image

    Normalized Dierence
    VegetaLve Index (NDVI)
    Water

    Kelp

    Imaging the Kelp

    Example true-color Landsat 7 Image

    Apply NDVI

    NDVI-applied on Landsat 7 Image

    Apply NDVI

    NDVI values Kelp Biomass

    Landsat 7: Biomass Changes

    April 16th, 2015 (Pre-oil spill)

    Landsat 7: Biomass Changes


    April 16th, 2015 (Pre-oil spill)
    (5 Total Lme-points)

    June 19th, 2015 (Post-oil spill)

    Landsat 7: Biomass Changes

    May 2nd, 2015 (Pre-oil spill)

    Landsat 7: Biomass Changes

    May 18th, 2015 (Pre-oil spill)

    Landsat 7: Biomass Changes

    June 3rd, 2015 (Post-oil spill)

    Landsat 7: Biomass Changes

    June 19th, 2015 (Post-oil spill)

    800
    700
    600
    500
    400
    300
    200
    100
    0
    16-Apr
    18-Apr
    20-Apr
    22-Apr
    24-Apr
    26-Apr
    28-Apr
    30-Apr
    02-May
    04-May
    06-May
    08-May
    10-May
    12-May
    14-May
    16-May
    18-May
    20-May
    22-May
    24-May
    26-May
    28-May
    30-May
    01-Jun
    03-Jun
    05-Jun
    07-Jun
    09-Jun
    11-Jun
    13-Jun
    15-Jun
    17-Jun
    19-Jun

    16-Apr
    18-Apr
    20-Apr
    22-Apr
    24-Apr
    26-Apr
    28-Apr
    30-Apr
    02-May
    04-May
    06-May
    08-May
    10-May
    12-May
    14-May
    16-May
    18-May
    20-May
    22-May
    24-May
    26-May
    28-May
    30-May
    01-Jun
    03-Jun
    05-Jun
    07-Jun
    09-Jun
    11-Jun
    13-Jun
    15-Jun
    17-Jun
    19-Jun

    Refugio Oil Spill

    Biomass Change Summary


    West of Oil Spill Site

    5000

    4000

    3000

    2000
    West

    1000

    East of Oil Spill Site

    East

    Biomass isnt working

    Remote Sensing: AVIRIS


    Pros:
    Great Spectral ResoluLon!





    Cons:
    Only two Lme points

    Remote Sensing: AVIRIS


    Thus, we can nd
    indicators of kkelp
    elp
    Health and ooil
    health
    il
    concentra@ons
    concentra@ons
    Fluorescence Line
    Height (proxy for
    chlorophyll--health)
    CDOM ConcentraLon
    (proxy for oil)

    Fluorescence Line Height


    Indicates a measure of uorescence
    due to chlorophyll
    Greater FLH
    -> Greater chlorophyll levels
    Greater
    kelp
    health
    -> H
    ealthier
    kelp

    Fluorescence Line Height


    Algorithm:

    Fluorescence Line Height


    Kelp

    Fluorescence Line Height


    Kelp

    Baseline!

    Fluorescence Line Height


    Kelp

    Height = FLH

    CDOM ConcentraLon
    Colored Dissolved Organic Maner
    Proxy for organic parLculates due to
    hydrocarbons
    Possible proxy for mucus producLon in
    kelp defense mechanism

    Greater CDOM Index


    -> Greater IndicaLon of Hydrocarbons/Mucus
    -> Greater oil concentra@on

    CDOM ConcentraLon

    Fined for Santa Barbara


    Channel by a research paper:

    AVIRIS Imagery
    Four locaLons,
    (1 month) before and
    (2 weeks) a`er spill:

    1. Refugio
    2. Goleta Point
    3. West San Miguel
    Island
    4. South San Miguel
    Island

    So how do we do this?

    Example
    AVIRIS
    Image Site

    Apply NDVI

    Map out Kelp pixels

    Apply algorithms on Kelp Pixels


    1. NDVI
    2. FLH
    3. CDOM

    Relate the metrics


    1. NDVI
    2. FLH
    3. CDOM

    1. Biomass
    2. Chl a
    3. Oil

    Example Analysis: CDOM Levels in


    Southern San Miguel Island

    Increase in CDOM Increase in Oil

    Results Summary
    1) Refugio
    Biomass
    Chl a
    Oil

    2) Goleta Point
    Biomass
    Chl a
    Oil
    3)West San Miguel Island
    Biomass
    Chl a (constant)
    Oil

    4)South San Miguel Island


    Biomass (constant)
    Chl a (constant)
    Oil

    Tying it all together


    Increase in CDOM across all areas

    Likely
    Likely iindicates
    ndicates p
    presence
    resence o
    of
    f o
    oil
    il

    Refugio & Goleta Point:


    Biomass
    Chlorophyll a concentra@on

    San Miguel Island


    Varying Biomass changes
    Constant Chlorophyll a concentra@on

    Future DirecLons
    Look at imagery immediately before and a`er oil
    spill events
    Tough due to satellite limitaLons and airborne
    mission costs

    Match changes in dierent kelp health metrics to


    ground-measured oil concentraLons/trajectories
    Repeat experiment over mulLple geographic
    locaLons (establish trends)
    Separate out CDOM contribuLons
    Could be due to anthropogenic runo, etc...
    Figure a bener way of measuring oil concentraLon

    Acknowledgements
    Dr. Raphael Kudela
    Jesse Bausell



    Dr. Emily Schaller
    and everyone supporLng the
    Student Airborne Research Program

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