Inter-comparison of chlorophyll-a and associated physiochemical parameters in the three Marine Protected Areas of Bangladesh utilizing remote sensing datasets

Author: Mohammad Azharul Islam, K M Azam Chowdhury, Mohammad Tanzil Hasan, Kayes Mohammad, Ashraful Moontahab, Fazle Ruhan Nuhas
DOI: doi.org/10.70279/bmj-v7-i1-1046
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The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) mandate that Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) occupy 10% of each marine area's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Four
MPAs that cover 8.25% of Bangladesh's EEZ have been declared, yet research on the efficacy and health of these areas is still pending. It is vital to evaluate crucial factors including nutrients, water quality, human impact, and chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) to guarantee that these MPAs are successfully protecting marine ecosystems. The increase or decrease in Chl-a concentration and other physicochemical parameters correlate with greater or lesser transportation through river water. Our observations exploit that there is slight decrease of the Chl-a concentration at Nijhum Dwip MPA and increasing in both Swatch of No Ground (SoNG) and St. Martin MPA. St. Martin MPA’s concentration level of Chl-a and nutrients is distinct from that of other places because of the island's relatively low exposure to freshwater flow. High probability of decreasing Chl-a concentration occurs for turbid water or high rate of sedimentation in Nijhum Dwip MPA. Even the water velocity and upwelling of the nutrient-rich water increases the concentration of the region, especially the SoNG MPA. It’s preferable to say that there are some driving forces such as water current, wind stress, temperature, saline layer, and mixed layers that are likely to be responsible for the variation in these MPA regions. Distinction between the regions for depth, turbidity, freshwater influx, and seasonal variability.