water Article Assessing Chlorophyll a Spatiotemporal Patterns Combining In Situ Continuous Fluorometry Measurements and Landsat 8/OLI Data across the Barataria Basin (Louisiana, USA) Ivan A. Vargas-Lopez 1,* , Victor H. Rivera-Monroy 1,* , John W. Day 1, Julie Whitbeck 2 , Kanchan Maiti 1 , Christopher J. Madden 3 and Armando Trasviña-Castro 4 1 Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, College of the Coast and Environment, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA;
[email protected] (J.W.D.);
[email protected] (K.M.) 2 Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, National Park Service, 419 Decatur St New Orleans, LA 70130, USA;
[email protected] 3 Everglades Research Division, South Florida Water Management District, 8894 Belvedere Road, West Palm Beach, FL 33411, USA;
[email protected] 4 Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada (CICESE), Unidad La Paz, La Paz, Baja California Sur 23050, Mexico;
[email protected] * Correspondence:
[email protected] (I.A.V.-L.);
[email protected] (V.H.R.-M.) Abstract: The acquisition of reliable and accurate data to assess environmental changes over large spatial scales is one of the main limitations to determine the impact of eutrophication, and the effectiveness of management strategies in coastal systems. Here, we used a continuous in situ Citation: Vargas-Lopez, I.A.; Chl-a fluorometry sensor and L8/OLI satellite data to develop an algorithm and map Chl-a spatial Rivera-Monroy, V.H.; Day, J.W.; distribution to assess the impact of freshwater diversions and associated high nutrient loading rates in Whitbeck, J.; Maiti, K.; Madden, C.J.; the Barataria Basin (BB) complex, a coastal system in the northern Gulf of Mexico.