The Temporal Trends in Chlorophyll-A Concentration along the Southern Coast of Papua over a 25-year Period, from 1998 to 2022

The region situated along the southern coast of Papua Island exhibits a considerable likelihood of upwelling, which is distinguished by higher amounts of chlorophyll-a concentration. The present study examined the variability of upwelling phenomena spanning a period of 25 years (1998-2022) through the utilization of satellite-derived data obtained from the Ocean-Colour Climate Change Initiative (OC-CCI). Apart from the chlorophyll-a concentration, the southern region of Papua exhibits a significant amount of suspended sediment contamination, as indicated by the observations of Rrs 555. Upon conducting EOF analysis during each season, it has been observed that there has been a significant rise in the levels of chlorophyll-a concentrations over the past several years in the northern region of the Arafura Sea. The period spanning from 2016 to 2022 witnessed a rise in precipitation amounts, leading to a greater transportation of nutrients through water discharge and consequently resulting in an increase of chlorophyll-a concentration.