Variation of Phytoplankton Absorption Coefficients in the Northern South China Sea during Spring and Autumn; Journal article

摘要

We examined the temporal and spatial variabilities of phytoplankton absorption coefficients (alpha (sub ph) lambda) and their relationships with physical processes in the northern South China Sea from two cruise surveys during spring (May 2001) and late autumn (November 2002). A large river plume induced by heavy precipitation iii May stimulated a phytoplankton bloom on the inner shelf, causing significant changes in the surface water in alpha (sub ph), values and B/R ratios (Alpha (sub ph) lambda)(alpha (sub ph)(440)/alpha (sub ph) (675)). This was consistent with the observed one order of magnitude elevation of chlorophyll alpha and a shift from a pico/nano dominated phytoplankton community to one dominated by micro-algae. At the seasonal level, enhanced vertical mixing due to strengthened northeast monsoon in November has been observed to result in higher surface alpha(sub ph)(675) 0.002-0.006 m(exp - 1)(exp -1) higher.