Abstract
The influence of the variability in the structure of phytoplankton communities on measurable optical properties of the upper ocean is analyzed for a wide variety of coastal marine environments. Changes in spectral attenuation coefficients in the first optical depth are related to varying levels of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and changes in phytoplankton community, structure, operationally defined as changes in the phytoplankton size distributions. Optical measurements include spectral vertical attenuation coefficient and water leaving radiance reflectance. Chlorophyll a and particulate absorbance were measured in 4 size fractions: picoplankton, ultraplankton, nanoplankton and microplankton. By partitioning the contribution of phytoplankton absorbance into 4 size classes, a rational for a quantitative approach for interpreting variations in the relationship between light attenuation and spectral reflectances as a function of difference community structures of phytoplankton is developed.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
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