Seasonal Variability and Annual Primary Production of Phytoplankton in the Laptev Sea Assessed by MODIS-Aqua Data

Abstract

The seasonal variability of primary production in the Laptev Sea has been studied and its annual values have been determined using the data of a MODIS-Aqua scanner (mean for 2002–2018). Regional-specific algorithms of primary production and chlorophyll are used for this purpose for the first time. Two regions of the Laptev Sea—northwestern and southeastern—are distinguished on the basis of the primary production long-term averaged over many years. Seasonal variations in the primary production in the water column of the northwestern region are characterized by the maximum in June (245 mg C/m2 per day). The maximal primary production in the southeastern region and over the entire area of the Laptev Sea (273–282 mg C/m2 per day and 256–281 mg C/m2 per day, respectively) is recorded from May to July. Daily and annual primary production in the southeastern region are 1.9 and 3 times higher, respectively, than in the northwestern region. The primary production mean for the Laptev Sea is 125 mg C/m2 per day and the total annual primary production is 8 × 1012 g C.