Multi-Year Dynamics of Coastal Sargassum Accumulation Using Sentinel-2 and the Floating Algae Index: A Case Study from Southwestern Puerto Rico

This dataset supports the manuscript: Multi-Year Dynamics of Coastal Sargassum Accumulation Using Sentinel-2 and the Floating Algae Index: A Case Study from Southwestern Puerto Rico The repository contains the processed datasets, environmental observations, validation data, documentation, and R scripts used to quantify coastal Sargassum accumulation within the La Parguera Natural Marine Reserve (LPNMR), southwestern Puerto Rico, from January 2016 through December 2024. Surface Sargassum accumulation was identified using Sentinel-2 Multispectral Instrument (S2-MSI) imagery and the Floating Algae Index (FAI). Environmental variables, including sea surface temperature, wind speed, wind direction, surface current speed, and surface current direction, were obtained from NOAA National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) Station 42085 and the Copernicus Marine Service (CMEMS) Global Ocean Physics Reanalysis product. Satellite observations were validated using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) imagery and in situ field observations. This repository includes: Processed Sentinel-2 Floating Algae Index (FAI) datasets NOAA NDBC environmental observations CMEMS surface current data Validation datasets Derived analyses R scripts used for data processing and analysis Documentation supporting data reuse and reproducibility This dataset accompanies the associated manuscript and is intended to support transparency, reproducibility, and future research on coastal Sargassum monitoring using satellite remote sensing.