Assessing typhoon impacts on phytoplankton in the East China Sea based on satellite remote sensing data

Typhoon is a strong cyclonic vortex that occurs in tropical or subtropical oceans, which will make a certain impact on the marine environment. This study based on satellite remote sensing data such as MODIS (moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer) and GOCI (geostationary ocean color imager), studied the response characteristics of phytoplankton after typhoon transit in the East China Sea in 2018. We found that 7 typhoons transiting the East China Sea in 2018 had various degrees of impact, of which typhoon “Suli” had a significant impact. After transit, sea surface temperature decreased by approximately 2.53 ℃; chlorophyll a concentration increased by approximately 1.15 mg/m³. The reason for the difference in typhoon impact is whether the typhoon can generate the upwelling. This process is mainly affected by factors such as typhoon wind force, typhoon moving speed and transit time: The greater the wind of the typhoon, the slower the movement speed, and the longer the transit time, the greater the impact it will have on the transit sea area, and vice versa. Overall, this study provides a reference for further studying on the impact of typhoons on marine ecology.