Estimation of the Global Distribution of Phytoplankton Light Absorption From Pigment Concentrations

Abstract

Light absorption by phytoplankton drives primary production and influences the rate of vertical attenuation of light in aquatic environments (Kirk, 1994;Morel, 1988;Smith & Baker, 1981). Phytoplankton absorption is a major factor contributing to the variation in optical properties of oceanic waters. Estimation of the proportion of light absorption due to phytoplankton is an important component of many bio-optical and biogeochemical models (Baird et al., 2016;Prieur & Sathyendranath, 1981;Sathyendranath et al., 1989). Thus, estimates of global primary production rely on accurate estimates of marine phytoplankton absorption.Phytoplankton absorption (a ph ; m −1 ) varies due to pigment composition and concentration, the size and shape of the phytoplankton cells (