Phytoplankton blooms and remote sensing: What is the potential for early warning

Phytoplankton blooms are closely coupled to physical processes. Increased a ccess to wind, sea surface temperature, and ocean color datasets aids in re trospective analyses of bloom events and provides vital linkages of physica l and biological processes. From such analyses, conceptual models of bloom initiation, transport, maintenance, and dissipation may help identify the t iming of bloom initiation and define environmental conditions conducive to growth. The advent of on-line, real-time environmental data, new ocean colo r sensors, and hyperspectral scanners may allow enough predictive capabilit y so that harmful or toxic bloom conditions can be detected, research effor ts focused, and reliable information made available, before effects of thes e blooms are manifest in near shore areas.