Burt, William J; Westberry, Toby K; Behrenfeld, Michael J; Zeng, Chen; Izett, Robert W; Tortell, Philippe Daniel (2018): Carbon:Chlorophyll ratios of Subarctic Pacific surface waters [dataset]. PANGAEA, https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.886143, Supplement to: Burt, WJ et al. (2018): Carbon : Chlorophyll ratios and net primary productivity of Subarctic Pacific surface waters derived from autonomous shipboard sensors. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GB005783
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Abstract:
We present optically-derived estimates of phytoplankton carbon (Cphyto) and chlorophyll a concentration (Chl) across a wide range of productivity and hydrographic regimes in the Subarctic Pacific Ocean. Our high-frequency measurements capture changes in Cphyto and Chl across regional gradients in macro- and micronutrient limitation, and sub-mesoscale hydrographic frontal zones. Throughout the majority of our survey region, carbon to chlorophyll ratios (Cphyto:Chl) ranged between 50-100. Lower values (10-20) were constrained to the highly productive coastal upwelling system along Vancouver Island, whereas higher estimated values (>200) were found directly off the southern British Columbia continental shelf. Further offshore, Cphyto:Chl was less variable, ranging from 50-80 in high nutrient low Chl (HNLC) waters in June, and from 80-120 in the Gulf of Alaska in July. Much of the variability in Cphyto:Chl throughout the study region could be explained by mixed layer light levels (i.e. photo-acclimation), with additional variability attributed to nutrient-controlled changes in phytoplankton growth rates in some regions. Elevated Cphyto:Chl ratios resulting from apparent nutrient stress were found in areas of low macro-nutrient concentrations. In contrast, iron-limited waters exhibited Cphyto:Chl ratios lower than predicted from the photo-acclimation model. Applying the Carbon-based production model, we derived Cphyto and Chl-based estimates of net primary productivity, which showed good coherence with independent 14C uptake measurements. Our results highlight the utility of ship-board optical data to examine phytoplankton physiological ecology and productivity in surface marine waters.
Coverage:
Median Latitude: 51.193487 * Median Longitude: -131.536634 * South-bound Latitude: 48.007000 * West-bound Longitude: -147.878000 * North-bound Latitude: 58.867000 * East-bound Longitude: -124.363000
Date/Time Start: 2016-05-26T00:50:15 * Date/Time End: 2016-07-25T22:04:30
Event(s):
Parameter(s):
| # | Name | Short Name | Unit | Principal Investigator | Method/Device | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DATE/TIME | Date/Time | Burt, William J | Geocode – UTC | ||
| 2 | LATITUDE | Latitude | Burt, William J | Geocode | ||
| 3 | LONGITUDE | Longitude | Burt, William J | Geocode | ||
| 4 | Salinity | Sal | Burt, William J | PSU | ||
| 5 | Chlorophyll a | Chl a | mg/m3 | Burt, William J | ||
| 6 | Uncertainty | Uncertainty | ± | Burt, William J | Chlorophyll a (mg m-3) | |
| 7 | Phytoplankton, biomass as carbon | Phytopl C | mg/m3 | Burt, William J | ||
| 8 | Uncertainty | Uncertainty | ± | Burt, William J | Phytoplankton Carbon (mg m-3) | |
| 9 | Carbon/Chlorophyll a ratio | C/Chl a | Burt, William J | Phytoplankton Carbon : Chlorophyll Ratio (mg m-3:mg m-3) | ||
| 10 | Uncertainty | Uncertainty | ± | Burt, William J | Phytoplankton Carbon : Chlorophyll Ratio (mg m-3:mg m-3) |
License:
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC-BY-3.0)
Size:
168422 data points
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