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Abstract
To describe spatial and temporal dynamics of sea surface temperature (SST) and chlorophylla concentration (Chl-a) and to identify the predicted area of fish distribution and migration in
Makassar Strait, monthly mean remotely sensed satellite data in 2009 were used. Results
showed that SST and Chl-a have different spatial and temporal patterns along Makassar
Strait. SST tended to be high during the first transition season (March-May) and reached a
peak in April at the level of approximately 30C especially in southern area. Whilst, Chl-a
appeared to be high during the west season (January-March) in the central and south of
Makassar Strait. During that period, Chl-a ranged from 0.5 to1.0 mg m -3. The Chl-a started to
significantly decrease in April and then tended to be constant through December. Most of
potential predicted areas for pelagic fish such as for skipjack and mackerel in Makassar Strait
developed in the southern area along South Sulawesi waters when progression of warm
waters SST moved from southern area to the north from April to July. At the same time and
location, Chl-a concentrations tended to gradually well enhance. As a result, skipjack tuna
and mackerel were clearly identified to have the high probability of finding the fish in the
southern area both December and in March. It suggests that satellite images provide a
powerful tool to identify spatial and temporal fish distribution and abundance throughout a
year in Makassar Strait.
Keywords: SST, Chl-a, satellite images, predicted area, fish distribution and abundance
INTRODUCTION
Marine fishery resources rely on specific oceanographic structures for feeding, reproduction,
and migration and the link between the availability of potential fishing location and fish
population dynamics is widely documented in the coastal environment (Laurs, 1984; Inagake
et al., 2001). In the tropical coastal environment, spatial and temporal dynamics of
oceanographic conditions such sea surface temperature (SST) and Chl-a concentrations play
an essential role for identifying pelagic fish distribution and abundance (Zainuddin, 2009;
Zainudin and Jamal, 2009). A fruitful approach to understanding the impact of the two
oceanographic signatures on pelagic ecosystem dynamics may be to understand the impact of
environmental variability on key habitats.
From historical point of view, satellite remote sensing has proved an important source
of information to marine science and fisheries oceanography research. SST and Chl-a
Spatial distributions of monthly mean SST estimated from satellite data showed that cold
surface water in Makassar Strait occurred during January-February 2009 (Fig.1). The
relatively low SSTs were mainly found in the central and southern Makassar Strait during the
period. Warm water SST started from the southern area in April with the SST level of more
than 30C and move to the north through July and then the SST tended to decrease from
August to November. In the southern area, the lowest SSTs appeared in August around
Takalar coastal waters and the SST gradually increased till December.
Fig. 1. Remotely sensed sea surface temperature estimated from Aqua/MODIS for the
Makassar Strait from January to December 2009.
Figure 2 showed that the lowest temperature in Makassar Strait occurred during the
west season (December-February) in the central and south of the strait. The SST level in the
period was less than 28C on average. The highest SST occurred in the first transition season
particularly in the southern area of the strait with the SST of more than 30C. The average
SST in that period was about 29C. During the east season, SST was highest (>30C) in the
central and northern side of Makassar Strait especially near Celebes (Sulawesi) island.
However, the lowest SSTs were encountered in the south of South Sulawesi Province with the
level of less than 28C SST . The surface temperature tended to be stable (less variability)
during the second transition season.
Fig. 2. Remotely sensed sea surface temperature estimated from Aqua/MODIS for the
Makassar Strait for all seasons (west season, first transition season, east season and second
transition season) in 2009.
2. Spatial Distribution of Chl-a
The Chl-a concentration tended to high from January to March in eastern and southern part of
Makassar Strait (Fig.3). In these areas, Chl-a density were mostly greater than 0.5 mg m -3.
The highest Chl-a was found in eastern area closed to Borneo Island with the density of more
than 0.84 mg m-3. From April to December, the Chl-a appeared to be constant. It is
interesting to note that in August 2009, the high Chl-a concentrations were observed along
Takalar, Jeneponto and Bantaeng coastal waters.
Fig. 3. Remotely sensed surface chlorophyll density estimated from Aqua/MODIS ocean
color for the Makassar Strait from January to December 2009.
Figure 4 showed that Chl-a concentrations were consistently high in eastern side of
Makassar Strait for all seasons in 2009. The Chl-a densities in that area were observed to be
greater than 0.84 mg m-3. The greatest Chl-a were found during the west season. Chl-a
concentrations were lowest in the second transition season along the center of Makassar
Strait. The relatively low Chl-a densities in that area were about less than 0.18 mg m -3. The
relatively high Chl-a concentrations along the coastal area of South Sulawesi Province can be
found in the east season, particularly in Takalar coastal waters.
Fig. 4. Remotely sensed Chl-a estimated from Aqua/MODIS for the Makassar Strait for all
seasons (west, first transition, east and second transition season) in 2009.
3. Temporal Variability of SST and Chl-a
It is important to point out that in Makassar Strait, the temporal variability of SST appeared
to be more fluctuated than that of Chl-a (Fig.5: left). A high variability of SST occurred
during January-February. SSTs tended to be high in the first transition season and reached a
peak in April in which the SST level was approximately 30C especially in southern
Makassar Strait. From May to November, the trend of SST appeared to decrease. Although
the increased SST can be seen in December in the south of Makassar Strait, but the lowest
SST can be clearly found in January where the SST level was about 27C. Figure 5 showed
that the southern area of Makassar Strait had a highly SST variation compared with the other
areas. The northern area was less variable SST spatial pattern.
The Chl-a concentrations have different temporal variability with the SST (Fig.5:
right). All three areas in Makassar Strait have similar Chl-a trend along the year of 2009.
Chl-a tended to increase in the west season especially in January where the density levels
ranged from 0.5 to 1.0 mg m-3. In general, the level of Chl-a concentrations seem to be stable
from April to December. For all areas along the strait, the Chl-a densities during that period
were about 0.5 mg m-3 on average. The Chl-a appeared to slightly increase only in July. In
the northern Makassar Strait, the Chl-a concentrations were much more variable than both in
central and southern area.
Fig. 5. Temporal variability of monthly mean SST (left panel) and Chl-a (right panel) with
1 standard deviation estimated from Aqua/MODIS in the Makassar Strait for JanuaryDecember in 2009.
4. Predicted Area of Fish Distribution and Abundance
Figure 6 indicated that spatial pattern of preferred oceanographic conditions for skipjack and
mackerel was considerably different. Skipjack tended to inhabit the specific area of
Makassar Strait both in March and in December. Whilst, mackerel appeared to occupy a wide
area of the Strait in same period. In March, skipjack tuna were predicted to occur along the
north and center of Makassar Strait closed to the Sulawesi coast. It seems different in
December where skipjack tended to concentrate in the southern area. Predicted area for
mackerel were more developed in northern and southernmost Makassar Strait in March.
Meanwhile, in December the high probability areas of finding mackerel were mostly in
central and southern Makassar Strait particularly along the coastal of South Sulawesi
Province.
Fig. 6. Spatial distribution of predicted area for skipjack (left) and mackerel (right) along
Makassar Strait in March (top) and December (bottom) 2009.
DISCUSSION
With just a year of high resolution remote sensing datasets, it is already apparent that spatial
and temporal dynamics of the SST and Chl-a could be observed. A description of these
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