abrupt baseline shifts

Long-term chlorophyll records reveal abrupt baseline shifts in Kuwait Bay

Long-term chlorophyll records from Kuwait Bay reveal an abrupt baseline shift that demands attention. Between 2001 and 2024, annual mean chlorophyll-a at Bay sites increased by 0.061 mg m⁻³ yr⁻¹, with concentrations nearly three times higher during 2013-2017 compared to the previous decade. The timing coincides with construction of the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Causeway, though causation remains unestablished. These findings underscore how integrated data ecosystems can expose the ecological consequences of coastal development.