Seasonal variations of bio-optical properties and their interrelationships observed by Bio-Argo floats in the subpolar North Atlantic

• Published in: Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans
• Main Authors: Xing, Xiaogang, Claustre, Hervé, Uitz, Julia, Mignot, Alexandre, Poteau, Antoine, Wang, Haili
• Other Authors: Laboratoire d'océanographie de Villefranche (LOV), Observatoire océanologique de Villefranche-sur-mer (OOVM), Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Mercator Océan, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER)-Service hydrographique et océanographique de la Marine-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2014
• Subjects: [SDU.STU.OC]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Oceanography; North Atlantic
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-03502762; https://hal.science/hal-03502762/document; https://hal.science/hal-03502762/file/JGR%20Oceans%20-%202014%20-%20Xing%20-%20Seasonal%20variations%20of%20bio%25u2010optical%20properties%20and%20their%20interrelationships%20observed%20by%20Bio%25u2010Argo.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1002/2014JC010189

International audience Based on in situ data sets collected using two Bio-Argo floats deployed in the subpolar North Atlantic from June 2008 to May 2010, the present study focuses on the seasonal variability of three bio-optical properties, i.e., chlorophyll-a concentration ([Chla]), particle backscattering coefficient at 532 nm (b(bp)(532)), and particle beam attenuation coefficient at 660 nm (c(p)(660)). In addition, the interrelationships among these properties are examined. Our results show that: (1) [Chla], b(bp)(532) and c(p)(660) are largely well coupled with each other in the upper layer, all being minimum in mid-winter (January) and maximum in summer; (2) the backscattering coefficient presents an abrupt increase in late summer in the Icelandic Basin, likely due to a large contribution of coccolithophores following the diatom spring bloom; (3) the intercorrelations between the three bio-optical properties are basically consistent with previous studies; (4) seasonal variation in the of [Chla] to c(p)(660) ratio exhibits a clear light-dependence, most likely due to the phytoplankton photoacclimation.