Abstract
In the western English Channel leveis of Chlorophyll a in surface water are relatively low (≤0.5 mg m−3) in the summer after the decline of the spring diatom outburst. However, a chlorophyll-rich layer becomes established within the seasonal thermocline, generally during May or June, and persists for two to four months (Holligan and Harbour, 1971). Similar subsurface phytoplankton populations appear to be a characteristic feature of stratified waters around the British Isles at this time of year (e. g. Dooley, 1976), particularly in regions adjacent to tidal fronts (see Pingree, this volume, Figure 3).
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Holligan, P.M. (1978). Patchiness in Subsurface Phytoplankton Populations on the Northwest European Continental Shelf. In: Steele, J.H. (eds) Spatial Pattern in Plankton Communities. NATO Conference Series, vol 3. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-2195-6_10
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