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Variability of Phytoplankton Pigment Concentrations and Primary Productivity

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Polar Oceans from Space

Part of the book series: Atmospheric and Oceanographic Sciences Library ((ATSL,volume 41))

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Abstract

The polar oceans have been regarded as regions of high biological activity but moderate primary productivity. During spring and summer, they are sites of extremely high phytoplankton concentrations in part because of the abundance of nutrients and the presence of stable layers of meltwater that provide an ideal platform for photosynthesis. The productivity is more limited in autumn and winter when extended darkness and relatively cold surface temperature prevail and much of the region is covered by sea ice. Analyses of more than a decade of ocean color SeaWiFS data have yielded many interesting results about the spatial distribution and interannual variability of phytoplankton pigment concentration and primary productivity.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cryospheric Sciences Branch, Code 614.1, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), Greenbelt, MD, 20771, USA

    Josefino Comiso

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  1. Josefino Comiso
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Comiso, J. (2010). Variability of Phytoplankton Pigment Concentrations and Primary Productivity. In: Polar Oceans from Space. Atmospheric and Oceanographic Sciences Library, vol 41. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-68300-3_9

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