Water Quality Parameter estimation using Landsat-8 data (2014-2021) along the Odisha Coast of India

Abstract Coastal water quality assessment is vital for monitoring the health of marine ecosystems. This work presents a comprehensive study on coastal water quality estimation along the Odisha coast, India, using Landsat-8 imagery. The study encompasses validation of retrieved parameters and the exploration of spatial and temporal variability. Using Landsat-8 data, we estimated key coastal water quality parameters viz., chlorophyll-a concentration and total suspended matter. To ensure the accuracy of the retrieved parameters, we used in-situ data for validation. The validation results demonstrate a relatively high level of agreement between estimated and in-situ parameters, affirming the reliability of Landsat-8 data for coastal water quality assessment in this region. The retrieved concentration of total suspended matter and chlorophyll-a correlate well with the in-situ data (Pearson coefficient = 0.75 and 0.65, respectively). The 8-year averaged total suspended matter maps showed that highly turbid waters were primarily found around the Dhamra estuarine region, with a total suspended matter concentration greater than 50 g/m3. Moreover, our study revealed a significant spatial variability in water quality parameters along the Odisha coast. Additionally, the study highlighted the spatial and temporal variability of these parameters, providing valuable insights for coastal managements and environmental monitoring effects.