Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

PC02 Optical Studies in Aquatic Ecosystems

Date: Tuesday, February 13, 2001

Location: Southwest Hall

Wang, J, , Old Dominion University, Norfolk, USA, wang@ccpo.odu.edu

Cota, G, F, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, USA, cota@ccpo.odu.edu

Ruble, D, A, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, USA, ruble@ccpo.odu.edu

BIO-OPTICAL OBSERVATIONS IN THE BEAUFORT AND CHUKCHI SEAS

During August, 2000 bio-optical observations were made in the marginal ice zones of the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas. Secchi depths ranged from 4.5 to 30m, while phytoplankton biomass ranged from 0.1 to >20 mg chlorophyll m-3. Remote-sensing reflectance (Rrs) ratios explain >90% of the variance in surface chlorophyll concentrations. For this regions the current SeaWiFS algorithm (OC4V4) over estimates chlorophyll concentrations below ~1 mg chlorophyll m-3, but agrees well at higher concentrations. Above-water reflectance in the blue-green tended to be slightly higher than in-water estimates, but maximum-band Rrs ratios for both types of observations were highly correlated. Absorption spectra show that phytoplankton have highly packaged pigments with relatively low chlorophyll-specific absorption. Relationships between biomass and spectral absorption or backscattering are being explored.

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Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

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