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  • '''This product has been archived''' For operationnal and online products, please visit https://marine.copernicus.eu '''Short description:''' For the '''Global''' Ocean '''Satellite Observations''', ACRI-ST company (Sophia Antipolis, France) is providing '''Chlorophyll-a''' and '''Optics''' products [1997 - present] based on the '''Copernicus-GlobColour''' processor. * '''Chlorophyll and Bio''' products refer to Chlorophyll-a, Primary Production (PP) and Phytoplankton Functional types (PFT). Products are based on a multi sensors/algorithms approach to provide to end-users the best estimate. Two dailies Chlorophyll-a products are distributed: ** one limited to the daily observations (called L3), ** the other based on a space-time interpolation: the '''Cloud Free''' (called L4). * '''Optics''' products refer to Reflectance (RRS), Suspended Matter (SPM), Particulate Backscattering (BBP), Secchi Transparency Depth (ZSD), Diffuse Attenuation (KD490) and Absorption Coef. (ADG/CDM). * The spatial resolution is 4 km. For Chlorophyll, a 1 km over the Atlantic (46°W-13°E , 20°N-66°N) is also available for the '''Cloud Free''' product, plus a 300m Global coastal product (OLCI S3A & S3B merged). *Products (Daily, Monthly and Climatology) are based on the merging of the sensors SeaWiFS, MODIS, MERIS, VIIRS-SNPP&JPSS1, OLCI-S3A&S3B. Additional products using only OLCI upstreams are also delivered. * Recent products are organized in datasets called NRT (Near Real Time) and long time-series in datasets called REP/MY (Multi-Year). The NRT products are provided one day after satellite acquisition and updated a few days after in Delayed Time (DT) to provide a better quality. An uncertainty is given at pixel level for all products. To find the '''Copernicus-GlobColour''' products in the catalogue, use the search keyword '''GlobColour'''. See [http://catalogue.marine.copernicus.eu/documents/QUID/CMEMS-OC-QUID-009-030-032-033-037-081-082-083-085-086-098.pdf QUID document] for a detailed description and assessment. '''DOI (product) :''' https://doi.org/10.48670/moi-00075

  • '''DEFINITION''' The sea level ocean monitoring indicator has been presented in the Copernicus Ocean State Report #8. The ocean monitoring indicator on regional mean sea level is derived from the DUACS delayed-time (DT-2024 version, “my” (multi-year) dataset used when available) sea level anomaly maps from satellite altimetry based on a stable number of altimeters (two) in the satellite constellation. These products are distributed by the Copernicus Climate Change Service and the Copernicus Marine Service (SEALEVEL_GLO_PHY_CLIMATE_L4_MY_008_057). The time series of area averaged anomalies correspond to the area average of the maps in the Irish-Biscay-Iberian (IBI) Sea weighted by the cosine of the latitude (to consider the changing area in each grid with latitude) and by the proportion of ocean in each grid (to consider the coastal areas). The time series are corrected from regional mean GIA correction (weighted GIA mean of a 27 ensemble model following Spada et Melini, 2019). The time series are adjusted for seasonal annual and semi-annual signals and low-pass filtered at 6 months. Then, the trends/accelerations are estimated on the time series using ordinary least square fit.The trend uncertainty is provided in a 90% confidence interval. It is calculated as the weighted mean uncertainties in the region from Prandi et al., 2021. This estimate only considers errors related to the altimeter observation system (i.e., orbit determination errors, geophysical correction errors and inter-mission bias correction errors). The presence of the interannual signal can strongly influence the trend estimation considering to the altimeter period considered (Wang et al., 2021; Cazenave et al., 2014). The uncertainty linked to this effect is not considered. ""CONTEXT "" Change in mean sea level is an essential indicator of our evolving climate, as it reflects both the thermal expansion of the ocean in response to its warming and the increase in ocean mass due to the melting of ice sheets and glaciers (WCRP Global Sea Level Budget Group, 2018). At regional scale, sea level does not change homogenously. It is influenced by various other processes, with different spatial and temporal scales, such as local ocean dynamic, atmospheric forcing, Earth gravity and vertical land motion changes (IPCC WGI, 2021). The adverse effects of floods, storms and tropical cyclones, and the resulting losses and damage, have increased as a result of rising sea levels, increasing people and infrastructure vulnerability and food security risks, particularly in low-lying areas and island states (IPCC, 2022a). Adaptation and mitigation measures such as the restoration of mangroves and coastal wetlands, reduce the risks from sea level rise (IPCC, 2022b). In IBI region, the RMSL trend is modulated by decadal variations. As observed over the global ocean, the main actors of the long-term RMSL trend are associated with anthropogenic global/regional warming. Decadal variability is mainly linked to the strengthening or weakening of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) (e.g. Chafik et al., 2019). The latest is driven by the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) for decadal (20-30y) timescales (e.g. Delworth and Zeng, 2016). Along the European coast, the NAO also influences the along-slope winds dynamic which in return significantly contributes to the local sea level variability observed (Chafik et al., 2019). ""KEY FINDINGS "" Over the [1999/02/20 to 2023/12/31] period, the area-averaged sea level in the IBI area rises at a rate of 3.6 ± 0.8 mm/yr with an acceleration of 0.15 ± 0.06 mm/yr². This trend estimation is based on the altimeter measurements corrected from global GIA correction (Spada et Melini, 2019) to consider the ongoing movement of land. T The TOPEX-A is no longer included in the computation of regional mean sea level parameters (trend and acceleration) with version 2024 products due to potential drifts, and ongoing work aims to develop a new empirical correction. Calculation begins in February 1999 (the start of the TOPEX-B period). '''DOI (product):''' https://doi.org/10.48670/moi-00252

  • '''DEFINITION''' Ocean heat content (OHC) is defined here as the deviation from a reference period (1993-20210) and is closely proportional to the average temperature change from z1 = 0 m to z2 = 2000 m depth: With a reference density of ρ0 = 1030 kgm-3 and a specific heat capacity of cp = 3980 J/kg°C (e.g. von Schuckmann et al., 2009) Averaged time series for ocean heat content and their error bars are calculated for the Iberia-Biscay-Ireland region (26°N, 56°N; 19°W, 5°E). This OMI is computed using IBI-MYP, GLO-MYP reanalysis and CORA, ARMOR data from observations which provide temperatures. Where the CMEMS product for each acronym is: • IBI-MYP: IBI_MULTIYEAR_PHY_005_002 (Reanalysis) • GLO-MYP: GLOBAL_REANALYSIS_PHY_001_031 (Reanalysis) • CORA: INSITU_GLO_TS_OA_REP_OBSERVATIONS_013_002_b (Observations) • ARMOR: MULTIOBS_GLO_PHY_TSUV_3D_MYNRT_015_012 (Reprocessed observations) The figure comprises ensemble mean (blue line) and the ensemble spread (grey shaded). Details on the product are given in the corresponding PUM for this OMI as well as the CMEMS Ocean State Report: von Schuckmann et al., 2016; von Schuckmann et al., 2018. '''CONTEXT''' Change in OHC is a key player in ocean-atmosphere interactions and sea level change (WCRP, 2018) and can impact marine ecosystems and human livelihoods (IPCC, 2019). Additionally, OHC is one of the six Global Climate Indicators recommended by the World Meterological Organisation (WMO, 2017). In the last decades, the upper North Atlantic Ocean experienced a reversal of climatic trends for temperature and salinity. While the period 1990-2004 is characterized by decadal-scale ocean warming, the period 2005-2014 shows a substantial cooling and freshening. Such variations are discussed to be linked to ocean internal dynamics, and air-sea interactions (Fox-Kemper et al., 2021; Collins et al., 2019; Robson et al 2016). Together with changes linked to the connectivity between the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea (Masina et al., 2022), these variations affect the temporal evolution of regional ocean heat content in the IBI region. Recent studies (de Pascual-Collar et al., 2023) highlight the key role that subsurface water masses play in the OHC trends in the IBI region. These studies conclude that the vertically integrated trend is the result of different trends (both positive and negative) contributing at different layers. Therefore, the lack of representativeness of the OHC trends in the surface-intermediate waters (from 0 to 1000 m) causes the trends in intermediate and deep waters (from 1000 m to 2000 m) to be masked when they are calculated by integrating the upper layers of the ocean (from surface down to 2000 m). '''CMEMS KEY FINDINGS''' The ensemble mean OHC anomaly time series over the Iberia-Biscay-Ireland region are dominated by strong year-to-year variations, and an ocean warming trend of 0.41±0.4 W/m2 is barely significant. '''DOI (product):''' https://doi.org/10.48670/mds-00316

  • '''DEFINITION''' The Strong Wave Incidence index is proposed to quantify the variability of strong wave conditions in the Iberia-Biscay-Ireland regional seas. The anomaly of exceeding a threshold of Significant Wave Height is used to characterize the wave behavior. A sensitivity test of the threshold has been performed evaluating the differences using several ones (percentiles 75, 80, 85, 90, and 95). From this indicator, it has been chosen the 90th percentile as the most representative, coinciding with the state-of-the-art. Two Copernicus Marine products are used to compute the Strong Wave Incidence index: * IBI-WAV-MYP: '''IBI_MULTIYEAR_WAV_005_006''' * IBI-WAV-NRT: '''IBI_ANALYSISFORECAST_WAV_005_005''' The Strong Wave Incidence index (SWI) is defined as the difference between the climatic frequency of exceedance (Fclim) and the observational frequency of exceedance (Fobs) of the threshold defined by the 90th percentile (ThP90) of Significant Wave Height (SWH) computed on a monthly basis from hourly data of IBI-WAV-MYP product: SWI = Fobs(SWH > ThP90) – Fclim(SWH > ThP90) Since the Strong Wave Incidence index is defined as a difference of a climatic mean and an observed value, it can be considered an anomaly. Such index represents the percentage that the stormy conditions have occurred above/below the climatic average. Thus, positive/negative values indicate the percentage of hourly data that exceed the threshold above/below the climatic average, respectively. '''CONTEXT''' Ocean waves have a high relevance over the coastal ecosystems and human activities. Extreme wave events can entail severe impacts over human infrastructures and coastal dynamics. However, the incidence of severe (90th percentile) wave events also have valuable relevance affecting the development of human activities and coastal environments. The Strong Wave Incidence index based on the Copernicus Marine regional analysis and reanalysis product provides information on the frequency of severe wave events. The IBI-MFC covers the Europe’s Atlantic coast in a region bounded by the 26ºN and 56ºN parallels, and the 19ºW and 5ºE meridians. The western European coast is located at the end of the long fetch of the subpolar North Atlantic (Mørk et al., 2010), one of the world’s greatest wave generating regions (Folley, 2017). Several studies have analyzed changes of the ocean wave variability in the North Atlantic Ocean (Bacon and Carter, 1991; Kushnir et al., 1997; WASA Group, 1998; Bauer, 2001; Wang and Swail, 2004; Dupuis et al., 2006; Wolf and Woolf, 2006; Dodet et al., 2010; Young et al., 2011; Young and Ribal, 2019). The observed variability is composed of fluctuations ranging from the weather scale to the seasonal scale, together with long-term fluctuations on interannual to decadal scales associated with large-scale climate oscillations. Since the ocean surface state is mainly driven by wind stresses, part of this variability in Iberia-Biscay-Ireland region is connected to the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index (Bacon and Carter, 1991; Hurrell, 1995; Bouws et al., 1996, Bauer, 2001; Woolf et al., 2002; Tsimplis et al., 2005; Gleeson et al., 2017). However, later studies have quantified the relationships between the wave climate and other atmospheric climate modes such as the East Atlantic pattern, the Arctic Oscillation pattern, the East Atlantic Western Russian pattern and the Scandinavian pattern (Izaguirre et al., 2011, Martínez-Asensio et al., 2016). The Strong Wave Incidence index provides information on incidence of stormy events in four monitoring regions in the IBI domain. The selected monitoring regions (Figure 1.A) are aimed to provide a summarized view of the diverse climatic conditions in the IBI regional domain: Wav1 region monitors the influence of stormy conditions in the West coast of Iberian Peninsula, Wav2 region is devoted to monitor the variability of stormy conditions in the Bay of Biscay, Wav3 region is focused in the northern half of IBI domain, this region is strongly affected by the storms transported by the subpolar front, and Wav4 is focused in the influence of marine storms in the North-East African Coast, the Gulf of Cadiz and Canary Islands. More details and a full scientific evaluation can be found in the CMEMS Ocean State report (Pascual et al., 2020). '''CMEMS KEY FINDINGS''' The trend analysis of the SWI index for the period 1980–2024 shows statistically significant trends (at the 99% confidence level) in wave incidence, with an increase of at least 0.05 percentage points per year in regions WAV1, WAV3, and WAV4. The analysis of the historical period, based on reanalysis data, highlights the major wave events recorded in each monitoring region. In region WAV1 (panel B), the maximum wave event occurred in February 2014, resulting in a 28% increase in strong wave conditions. In region WAV2 (panel C), two notable wave events were identified in November 2009 and February 2014, with increases of 16–18% in strong wave conditions. Similarly, in region WAV3 (panel D), a major event occurred in February 2014, marking one of the most intense events in the region with a 20% increase in storm wave conditions. Additionally, a comparable storm affected the region two months earlier, in December 2013. In region WAV4 (panel E), the most extreme event took place in January 1996, producing a 25% increase in strong wave conditions. Although each monitoring region is generally affected by independent wave events, the analysis reveals several historical events with above-average wave activity that propagated across multiple regions: November–December 2010 (WAV3 and WAV2), February 2014 (WAV1, WAV2, and WAV3), and February–March 2018 (WAV1 and WAV4). The analysis of the near-real-time (NRT) period (from January 2024 onward) identifies a significant event in February 2024 that impacted regions WAV1 and WAV4, resulting in increases of 20% and 15% in strong wave conditions, respectively. For region WAV4, this event represents the second most intense event recorded in the region. '''DOI (product):''' https://doi.org/10.48670/moi-00251

  • '''Short description:''' Altimeter satellite along-track sea surface heights anomalies (SLA) computed with respect to a twenty-year [1993, 2012] mean. All the missions are homogenized with respect to a reference mission (see QUID document or http://duacs.cls.fr [http://duacs.cls.fr] pages for processing details). The product gives additional variables (e.g. Mean Dynamic Topography, Dynamic Atmosphic Correction, Ocean Tides, Long Wavelength Errors) that can be used to change the physical content for specific needs This product is processed by the DUACS multimission altimeter data processing system. It serves in near-real time the main operational oceanography and climate forecasting centers in Europe and worldwide. It processes data from all altimeter missions: Jason-3, Sentinel-3A, HY-2A, Saral/AltiKa, Cryosat-2, Jason-2, Jason-1, T/P, ENVISAT, GFO, ERS1/2. It provides a consistent and homogeneous catalogue of products for varied applications, both for near real time applications and offline studies. To produce maps of SLA (Sea Level Anomalies) in near-real time, the system exploits the most recent datasets available based on the enhanced OGDR+IGDR production. The system acquires and then synchronizes altimeter data and auxiliary data; each mission is homogenized using the same models and corrections. The Input Data Quality Control checks that the system uses the best altimeter data. The multi-mission cross-calibration process removes any residual orbit error, or long wavelength error (LWE), as well as large scale biases and discrepancies between various data flows; all altimeter fields are interpolated at crossover locations and dates. After a repeat-track analysis, a mean profile, which is peculiar to each mission, or a Mean Sea Surface (MSS) (when the orbit is non repetitive) is subtracted to compute sea level anomaly. The MSS is available via the Aviso+ dissemination (http://www.aviso.altimetry.fr/en/data/products/auxiliary-products/mss.html [http://www.aviso.altimetry.fr/en/data/products/auxiliary-products/mss.html]). Data are then cross validated, filtered from residual noise and small scale signals, and finally sub-sampled (sla_filtered variable). The ADT (Absolute Dynamic Topography, adt_filtered variable) can computed as follows: adt_filtered=sla_filtered+MDT where MDT. The Mean Dynamic Topography distributed by Aviso+ (http://www.aviso.altimetry.fr/en/data/products/auxiliary-products/mdt.html [http://www.aviso.altimetry.fr/en/data/products/auxiliary-products/mdt.html]). '''Associated products:''' A time invariant product [http://marine.copernicus.eu/services-portfolio/access-to-products/?option=com_csw&view=details&product_id=SEALEVEL_GLO_NOISE_L4_NRT_OBSERVATIONS_008_032] describing the noise level of along-track measurements is available. It is associated to the sla_filtered variable. It is a gridded product. One file is provided for the global ocean and those values must be applied for Arctic and Europe products. For Mediterranean and Black seas, one value is given in the QUID document.

  • '''Short description:''' Mean Dynamic Topography that combines the global CNES-CLS-2022 MDT, the Black Sea CMEMS2020 MDT and the Med Sea CMEMS2020 MDT. It is an estimate of the mean over the 1993-2012 period of the sea surface height above geoid. This is consistent with the reference time period also used in the DUACS products '''DOI (product) :''' https://doi.org/10.48670/moi-00150

  • '''Short description:''' DUACS delayed-time altimeter gridded maps of sea surface heights and derived variables over the global Ocean (https://cds.climate.copernicus.eu/cdsapp#!/dataset/satellite-sea-level-global?tab=overview). The processing focuses on the stability and homogeneity of the sea level record (based on a stable two-satellite constellation) and the product is dedicated to the monitoring of the sea level long-term evolution for climate applications and the analysis of Ocean/Climate indicators. These products are produced and distributed by the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S, https://climate.copernicus.eu/). '''DOI (product):''' https://doi.org/10.48670/moi-00145

  • '''This product has been archived''' For operationnal and online products, please visit https://marine.copernicus.eu '''Short description:''' For the North Atlantic and Arctic oceans, the ESA Ocean Colour CCI Remote Sensing Reflectance (merged, bias-corrected Rrs) data are used to compute surface Chlorophyll (mg m-3, 1 km resolution) using the regional OC5CCI chlorophyll algorithm. The Rrs are generated by merging the data from SeaWiFS, MODIS-Aqua, MERIS, VIIRS and OLCI-3A sensors and realigning the spectra to that of the MERIS sensor. The algorithm used is OC5CCI - a variation of OC5 (Gohin et al., 2002) developed by IFREMER in collaboration with PML. As part of this development, an OC5CCI look up table was generated specifically for application over OC-CCI merged daily remote sensing reflectances. The resulting OC5CCI algorithm was tested and selected through an extensive calibration exercise that analysed the quantitative performance against in situ data for several algorithms in these specific regions. Processing information: PML's Remote Sensing Group has the capability to automatically receive, archive, process and map global data from multiple polar-orbiting sensors in both near-real time and delayed time. OLCI products are downloaded at level-1 from CODA, the Copernicus Hub and/or via EUMETCAST. These products are remapped at nominal 300m and 1 Km spatial resolution using cylindrical equirectangular projection. Description of observation methods/instruments: Ocean colour technique exploits the emerging electromagnetic radiation from the sea surface in different wavelengths. The spectral variability of this signal defines the so called ocean colour which is affected by the presence of phytoplankton. By comparing reflectances at different wavelengths and calibrating the result against in situ measurements, an estimate of chlorophyll content can be derived. '''Processing information:''' ESA OC-CCI Rrs raw data are provided by Plymouth Marine Laboratory, currently at 4km resolution globally. These are processed to produce chlorophyll concentration using the same in-house software as in the operational processing. The entire CCI data set is consistent and processing is done in one go. Both OC CCI and the REP product are versioned. Standard masking criteria for detecting clouds or other contamination factors have been applied during the generation of the Rrs, i.e., land, cloud, sun glint, atmospheric correction failure, high total radiance, large solar zenith angle (70deg), large spacecraft zenith angle (56deg), coccolithophores, negative water leaving radiance, and normalized water leaving radiance at 560 nm 0.15 Wm-2 sr-1 (McClain et al., 1995). For the regional products, a variant of the OC-CCI chain is run to produce high resolution data at the 1km resolution necessary. A detailed description of the ESA OC-CCI processing system can be found in OC-CCI (2014e). '''Description of observation methods/instruments:''' Ocean colour technique exploits the emerging electromagnetic radiation from the sea surface in different wavelengths. The spectral variability of this signal defines the so called ocean colour which is affected by the presence of phytoplankton. By comparing reflectances at different wavelengths and calibrating the result against in-situ measurements, an estimate of chlorophyll content can be derived. '''Quality / Accuracy / Calibration information:''' Detailed description of cal/val is given in the relevant QUID, associated validation reports and quality documentation. '''DOI (product) :''' https://doi.org/10.48670/moi-00073

  • '''DEFINITION''' The Copernicus Marine IBI_OMI_seastate_extreme_var_swh_mean_and_anomaly OMI indicator is based on the computation of the annual 99th percentile of Significant Wave Height (SWH) from model data. Two different CMEMS products are used to compute the indicator: The Iberia-Biscay-Ireland Multi Year Product (IBI_MULTIYEAR_WAV_005_006) and the Analysis product (IBI_ANALYSISFORECAST_WAV_005_005). Two parameters have been considered for this OMI: * Map of the 99th mean percentile: It is obtained from the Multi-Year Product, the annual 99th percentile is computed for each year of the product. The percentiles are temporally averaged in the whole period (1980-2023). * Anomaly of the 99th percentile in 2024: The 99th percentile of the year 2024 is computed from the Analysis product. The anomaly is obtained by subtracting the mean percentile to the percentile in 2024. This indicator is aimed at monitoring the extremes of annual significant wave height and evaluate the spatio-temporal variability. The use of percentiles instead of annual maxima, makes this extremes study less affected by individual data. This approach was first successfully applied to sea level variable (Pérez Gómez et al., 2016) and then extended to other essential variables, such as sea surface temperature and significant wave height (Pérez Gómez et al 2018 and Álvarez-Fanjul et al., 2019). Further details and in-depth scientific evaluation can be found in the CMEMS Ocean State report (Álvarez- Fanjul et al., 2019). '''CONTEXT''' The sea state and its related spatio-temporal variability affect dramatically maritime activities and the physical connectivity between offshore waters and coastal ecosystems, impacting therefore on the biodiversity of marine protected areas (González-Marco et al., 2008; Savina et al., 2003; Hewitt, 2003). Over the last decades, significant attention has been devoted to extreme wave height events since their destructive effects in both the shoreline environment and human infrastructures have prompted a wide range of adaptation strategies to deal with natural hazards in coastal areas (Hansom et al., 2015). Complementarily, there is also an emerging question about the role of anthropogenic global climate change on present and future extreme wave conditions (Young and Ribal, 2019). The Iberia-Biscay-Ireland region, which covers the North-East Atlantic Ocean from Canary Islands to Ireland, is characterized by two different sea state wave climate regions: whereas the northern half, impacted by the North Atlantic subpolar front, is of one of the world’s greatest wave generating regions (Mørk et al., 2010; Folley, 2017), the southern half, located at subtropical latitudes, is by contrast influenced by persistent trade winds and thus by constant and moderate wave regimes. The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), which refers to changes in the atmospheric sea level pressure difference between the Azores and Iceland, is a significant driver of wave climate variability in the Northern Hemisphere. The influence of North Atlantic Oscillation on waves along the Atlantic coast of Europe is particularly strong in and has a major impact on northern latitudes wintertime (Gleeson et al., 2017; Martínez-Asensio et al. 2016; Wolf et al., 2002; Bauer, 2001; Kushnir et al., 1997; Bouws et al., 1996; Bacon and Carter, 1991). Swings in the North Atlantic Oscillation index produce changes in the storms track and subsequently in the wind speed and direction over the Atlantic that alter the wave regime. When North Atlantic Oscillation index is in its positive phase, storms usually track northeast of Europe and enhanced westerly winds induce higher than average waves in the northernmost Atlantic Ocean. Conversely, in the negative North Atlantic Oscillation phase, the track of the storms is more zonal and south than usual, with trade winds (mid latitude westerlies) being slower and producing higher than average waves in southern latitudes (Marshall et al., 2001; Wolf et al., 2002; Wolf and Woolf, 2006). Additionally, a variety of previous studies have uniquevocally determined the relationship between the sea state variability in the IBI region and other atmospheric climate modes such as the East Atlantic pattern, the Arctic Oscillation, the East Atlantic Western Russian pattern and the Scandinavian pattern (Izaguirre et al., 2011, Martínez-Asensio et al., 2016). In this context, long‐term statistical analysis of reanalyzed model data is mandatory not only to disentangle other driving agents of wave climate but also to attempt inferring any potential trend in the number and/or intensity of extreme wave events in coastal areas with subsequent socio-economic and environmental consequences. '''CMEMS KEY FINDINGS''' The climatic mean of 99th percentile (1980-2023) reveals a north-south gradient of Significant Wave Height with the highest values in northern latitudes (above 8m) and lowest values (2-3 m) detected southeastward of Canary Islands, in the seas between Canary Islands and the African Continental Shelf. This north-south pattern is the result of the two climatic conditions prevailing in the region and previously described. The 99th percentile anomalies in 2024 show that during this period, virtually the entire IBI region was affected by positive anomalies in maximum SWH, which exceeded the standard deviation of the historical record in the waters west of the Iberian Peninsula, the Spanish coast of the Bay of Biscay, and the African coast south of Cape Ghir. Anomalies reaching twice the standard deviation of the time series were also observed in coastal regions of the English Channel. '''DOI (product):''' https://doi.org/10.48670/moi-00249

  • '''DEFINITION''' We have derived an annual eutrophication and eutrophication indicator map for the North Atlantic Ocean using satellite-derived chlorophyll concentration. Using the satellite-derived chlorophyll products distributed in the regional North Atlantic CMEMS MY Ocean Colour dataset (OC- CCI), we derived P90 and P10 daily climatologies. The time period selected for the climatology was 1998-2017. For a given pixel, P90 and P10 were defined as dynamic thresholds such as 90% of the 1998-2017 chlorophyll values for that pixel were below the P90 value, and 10% of the chlorophyll values were below the P10 value. To minimise the effect of gaps in the data in the computation of these P90 and P10 climatological values, we imposed a threshold of 25% valid data for the daily climatology. For the 20-year 1998-2017 climatology this means that, for a given pixel and day of the year, at least 5 years must contain valid data for the resulting climatological value to be considered significant. Pixels where the minimum data requirements were met were not considered in further calculations. We compared every valid daily observation over 2021 with the corresponding daily climatology on a pixel-by-pixel basis, to determine if values were above the P90 threshold, below the P10 threshold or within the [P10, P90] range. Values above the P90 threshold or below the P10 were flagged as anomalous. The number of anomalous and total valid observations were stored during this process. We then calculated the percentage of valid anomalous observations (above/below the P90/P10 thresholds) for each pixel, to create percentile anomaly maps in terms of % days per year. Finally, we derived an annual indicator map for eutrophication levels: if 25% of the valid observations for a given pixel and year were above the P90 threshold, the pixel was flagged as eutrophic. Similarly, if 25% of the observations for a given pixel were below the P10 threshold, the pixel was flagged as oligotrophic. '''CONTEXT''' Eutrophication is the process by which an excess of nutrients – mainly phosphorus and nitrogen – in a water body leads to increased growth of plant material in an aquatic body. Anthropogenic activities, such as farming, agriculture, aquaculture and industry, are the main source of nutrient input in problem areas (Jickells, 1998; Schindler, 2006; Galloway et al., 2008). Eutrophication is an issue particularly in coastal regions and areas with restricted water flow, such as lakes and rivers (Howarth and Marino, 2006; Smith, 2003). The impact of eutrophication on aquatic ecosystems is well known: nutrient availability boosts plant growth – particularly algal blooms – resulting in a decrease in water quality (Anderson et al., 2002; Howarth et al.; 2000). This can, in turn, cause death by hypoxia of aquatic organisms (Breitburg et al., 2018), ultimately driving changes in community composition (Van Meerssche et al., 2019). Eutrophication has also been linked to changes in the pH (Cai et al., 2011, Wallace et al. 2014) and depletion of inorganic carbon in the aquatic environment (Balmer and Downing, 2011). Oligotrophication is the opposite of eutrophication, where reduction in some limiting resource leads to a decrease in photosynthesis by aquatic plants, reducing the capacity of the ecosystem to sustain the higher organisms in it. Eutrophication is one of the more long-lasting water quality problems in Europe (OSPAR ICG-EUT, 2017), and is on the forefront of most European Directives on water-protection. Efforts to reduce anthropogenically-induced pollution resulted in the implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) in 2000. '''CMEMS KEY FINDINGS''' The coastal and shelf waters, especially between 30 and 400N that showed active oligotrophication flags for 2020 have reduced in 2021 and a reversal to eutrophic flags can be seen in places. Again, the eutrophication index is positive only for a small number of coastal locations just north of 40oN in 2021, however south of 40oN there has been a significant increase in eutrophic flags, particularly around the Azores. In general, the 2021 indicator map showed an increase in oligotrophic areas in the Northern Atlantic and an increase in eutrophic areas in the Southern Atlantic. The Third Integrated Report on the Eutrophication Status of the OSPAR Maritime Area (OSPAR ICG-EUT, 2017) reported an improvement from 2008 to 2017 in eutrophication status across offshore and outer coastal waters of the Greater North Sea, with a decrease in the size of coastal problem areas in Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Norway and the United Kingdom. '''DOI (product):''' https://doi.org/10.48670/moi-00195