Abstract
The mesoscale distribution of phytoplankton in the Mauritanian coastal upwelling area has been mapped using a series of CZCS scenes covering more than one year. The spatial and temporal evolution of the algal biomass has been analysed. The CZCS images have been combined to establish “composite images” (ca. 840 km × 1260 Km) representing monthly averages of the surface pigment content. Satellite-derived pigment concentrations have been tentatively transformed into potential primary production per unit area. For this purpose, data concerning in situ primary production, vertical profiles of algal biomass and water optical properties, as previously obtained, were combined with mean values of available radiant energy taken from climatic atlases. An estimate of the daily integrated primary production in the different zones influenced by the seasonally fluctuating upwelling is proposed.
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