Bio-optical characterization of subsurface chlorophyll maxima in the Mediterranean Sea from a Biogeochemical-Argo float database

Barbieux, Marie; Uitz, Julia; Gentili, Bernard; Pasqueron de Fommervault, Orens; Mignot, Alexandre; Poteau, Antoine; Schmechtig, Catherine; Taillandier, Vincent; Leymarie, Edouard; Penkerc'h, Christophe; D'Ortenzio, Fabrizio; Claustre, Hervé; Bricaud, Annick

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-1321-2019

Articles | Volume 16, issue 6

https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-1321-2019

© Author(s) 2019. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-1321-2019

© Author(s) 2019. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 16, issue 6

Research article

|

01 Apr 2019

Research article |

| 01 Apr 2019

Bio-optical characterization of subsurface chlorophyll maxima in the Mediterranean Sea from a Biogeochemical-Argo float database

Marie Barbieux, Julia Uitz, Bernard Gentili, Orens Pasqueron de Fommervault, Alexandre Mignot, Antoine Poteau, Catherine Schmechtig, Vincent Taillandier, Edouard Leymarie, Christophe Penkerc'h, Fabrizio D'Ortenzio, Hervé Claustre, and Annick Bricaud

Supplement

https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-1321-2019-supplement

Data sets

Argo float data and metadata from Global Data Assembly Centre (Argo GDAC), SEANOE Argo https://doi.org/10.17882/42182

Download

Article (2430 KB)
Full-text XML

Short summary

As commonly observed in oligotrophic stratified waters, a subsurface (or deep) chlorophyll maximum (SCM) frequently characterizes the vertical distribution of phytoplankton chlorophyll in the Mediterranean Sea. SCMs often result from photoacclimation of the phytoplankton organisms. However they can also result from an actual increase in phytoplankton carbon biomass. Our results also suggest that a variety of intermediate types of SCMs are encountered between these two endmember situations.