A bio-optical approach to phytoplankton community sturcture, physiology and primary production on the Weddell Gyre
type: CreativeWork
description: The Southern Ocean is an important “sink” for anthropogenic CO2, but it requires a detailed understanding of the sensitivity of the biological carbon pump to variability in physical forcing mechanisms in order to predict its continuing role. However, due to the remote and tempestuous nature of this region, in situ measurements of phytoplankton variability are scarce. Consequently, satellites, autonomous floats and gliders are increasingly being utilized as platforms for observing biogeochemical variability over broad spatial and temporal scales, through satellite ocean colour radiometry linked to inherent optical properties (IOPs) of the upper water column. In this study, the variability of in situ IOPs was investigated together with phytoplankton biomass, cell size, species composition and chlorophyll to carbon (Chl:C) ratios to isolate and understand the relationships between IOPs and biogeochemistry.
abstract: The Southern Ocean is an important “sink” for anthropogenic CO2, but it requires a detailed understanding of the sensitivity of the biological carbon pump to variability in physical forcing mechanisms in order to predict its continuing role. However, due to the remote and tempestuous nature of this region, in situ measurements of phytoplankton variability are scarce. Consequently, satellites, autonomous floats and gliders are increasingly being utilized as platforms for observing biogeochemical variability over broad spatial and temporal scales, through satellite ocean colour radiometry linked to inherent optical properties (IOPs) of the upper water column. In this study, the variability of in situ IOPs was investigated together with phytoplankton biomass, cell size, species composition and chlorophyll to carbon (Chl:C) ratios to isolate and understand the relationships between IOPs and biogeochemistry.
author: Smith, Ceinwen
language: eng
date published: 2014
date modified: 2026-07-22T22:23:01Z
provider: University of Cape Town
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Department of Oceanography

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13365