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The light scattering and backscattering coefficients of particles (bp( λ ) and bbp( λ )) and their association with particle concentration, size distribution, and composition off the eastern Hainan coast in the South China Sea (SCS) were analyzed between August and September 2013. Variations in bp(532) and bbp(532) were correlated to changes in the LISST-based total cross-sectional area and volume concentration of particles (AC and VC). Two significantly different covariations between bbp( λ ) and bp( λ ) and chlorophyll a concentration (Chla) were observed, and all samples were clearly separated into two groups (Group A and Group B) using the threshold relationship between bbp and Chla. Samples in Group B, most of which were collected in the nepheloid layer, showed higher bp/AC and bbp/AC than those in Group A. This indicates the presence of inorganic particles with higher np in Group B than in Group A. The relationship between bbp and Chla for Group A could be well fitted by a published model involving a constant backscattering background independent of Chla. A significant relationship (R2 = 0.85) was observed between bbp and Chla in the Chla maximum layer, which was different from that in other layers. This finding might imply that both an increase in the micro-phytoplankton community and a decrease in the contribution of background backscattering to bbp at the Chla maximum layer. Understanding this variability of beam-scattering properties off the eastern Hainan coast can improve our understanding of marine biogeochemical processes at a regional scale, and can also promote the application of these regional bio-optical relationships for ocean color.

Typhoons can affect various hydrodynamic processes, such as upwelling, vertical mixing, and entrainment, which in turn influence the growth and redistribution of phytoplankton. In this study, responses of phytoplankton to consecutive typhoons Barijat and Mangkhut in summer 2018 in the northern South China Sea (NSCS) were investigated through combining remote sensing, numerical simulation, and Argo profile data. Variations of physical and biological properties induced by Barijat and Mangkhut over the study region were observed. Regional chlorophyll-a (Chla) algorithms over the NSCS were assessed in order to accurately quantify typhoon-induced variations of phytoplankton. Chla concentration decreased slightly over the region of interest after the passage of Barijiat while increased obviously after the passage of Mangkhut. Satellite-derived Chla increased by ~63% on average after the consecutive typhoons. Responses of phytoplankton size structure (PSS) were further investigated over the continental shelf and the deep ocean in the NSCS. For the continental shelf, the increment of micro- and nano-phytoplankton was about 1.5-fold as high as that of pico-phytoplankton, compared with a 0.5-fold increment for the deep ocean. This study attested the discrepant responses of different phytoplankton size classes to typhoons. It was of great significance to expand our understanding of ocean physical and ecological responses to extreme phenomena. Our finding underscores the potential of remote sensing to investigate typhoon-induced variation of PSS and could be the key to accurately assess typhoon-induced carbon fluxes, primary production, and potential fishing ground in the future.

The energetic mesoscale and submesoscale processes in the Southwest Indian Ocean (SWIO) have a significant effect on phytoplankton growth revealed by satellite observations and numerical simulations. Based on observations from two Bio-Argo floats deployed in the SWIO, a prominent phenomenon of subsurface Chl-a maximum (SCM) is observed in this region during spring, summer and autumn. After comparing the Chl-a profiles with and without mixed layer restratification (ML restratification), we found that the ML restratification favors to increase the upper ocean Chl-a concentration in spring, autumn and winter, while decrease Chl-a concentration in summer, which could be explained by nutrient-light colimitation on growth rates. Further analysis imply ML restratification is likely caused by the surface heating and up-front wind-driven Ekman transport.

Recent advances in hydrologic optics provide a potential tool for extracting maps of optical properties of optically significant constituents. During summer experiments in the northern South China Sea, a procedure for inverting optical properties in optically complex coastal upwelling waters was performed. We tested an optical inversion model (OIM) that provides estimates of the absorption attributable to optically significant constituents (including phytoplankton, non-algal particles (NAP), colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM)), as well as the chlorophyll a concentration and the phytoplankton size class, from the total spectral absorption. The OIM provided reasonable estimates of these bio-optical products, and attempts to invert the bio-optical properties in the coastal upwelling were successful. Several bio-optical parameters displayed robust relationships to the hydrologic characteristics. The biomass was strongly enhanced in the upwelling, where the phytoplankton population was dominated by the microphytoplankton. The inherent optical properties in the surface waters delivered distinct responses to the coastal upwelling. The distribution of backscattering ratios and particulate size distribution slopes indicated that the offshore surface waters were mainly dominated by small organic NAP, while the upwelling surface water was characterized by larger particles. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

From 15 to 28 August in 2007, a Chaetoceros socialis bloom was detected in the Pearl River Estuary water with chlorophyll a concentration (Chl a) up to 30 mg m(-3) and cell density up to 10(6) cells L-1. Time series of bio-optical measurements was obtained at a single site (114.29 degrees E, 22.06 degrees N) with the mooring of marine optical buoy. Light absorption properties of seawater experienced large variability throughout the algal bloom. Absorption by colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) was one of the dominant optical components of the light absorption (30-70%) especially for pre- and post-bloom waters, and it tended to decrease with Chl a during the algal bloom. Absorption by phytoplankton was another dominant optical component (18-50%) and increased rapidly with Chl a. Phytoplankton and accompanying material played dominant roles in light absorption as indicated by the relationship between absorption coefficient and Chl a. At high pigment concentrations, water samples showed significantly lower specific phytoplankton absorption, compared with pre- and post-bloom conditions, with the specific phytoplankton concentration at 443 nm varied between 0.011 and 0.022 m(2) mg(-1) and that at 676 nm between 0.007 and 0.018 m(2) mg(-1); small values of blue-to-red ratio of phytoplankton were also observed. These lower values were associated with variations in phytoplankton size structure. Spectral variability of phytoplankton absorption and total absorption (not including the fixed background absorption by pure water itself) could be expressed as simple linear functions linking absorption at one wavelength to the absorption at the other wavelengths, with the slope of the relationship changing with wavelength. The absorption coefficients by non-algal particles and CDOM follow the general exponential functions with remarkably limited variability in the exponent with means of 0.0105 and 0.0166 nm(-1), respectively. These spectral dependencies of absorption coefficients provide useful information for retrieving inherent optical properties from reflectance data in a remote-sensing context. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

For studies in bio-optical oceanography, visible light properties by classes of dissolved organic matter should be characterized. The regional adjustment of model parameters is one approach which is being widely used to refine bio-optical models. In the present study, buoy and laboratory data were acquired, and during the 15-day observation period an algal bloom event occurred. The absorption coefficient of CDOM at 443 nm, a(g)(443), changed in the range of 0.09-0.35 m(-1) and 0.1-0.34 m(-1) for two depths, 0.32 m and 2.3 m., respectively, throughout the entire period. CDOM absorption was larger for bloom conditions than for non-bloom conditions. In addition, the fraction of CDOM in total absorption was higher during the bloom event than that of non-bloom conditions. The spectral slope of CDOM absorption, S., regressed over 400-500 nm, ranged from 0.015 to 0.0185 nm(-1) with an average of 0.0166 nm(-1). CDOM fluorescence intensity (Fcdom) was obtained using an internal Raman standard and varied over the range of 467.44-1538.23 in relative units. Variations in Fcdom showed a similar pattern to that of CDOM absorption. A robust non-linear relationship between Fcdom and CDOM absorption was found, with a correlation coefficient of 0.893, throughout the whole observation. An attempt to describe S-g with absorption showed a promising consequence that can be described with a negative correlation during the bloom, however, without any distinguishable tendency for non-bloom time span. A two-band ratio algorithm was also carried out for retrieving CDOM absorption. The variations in optical properties of CDOM may be related to the complicated environment in the estuarine waters, which may result from different sources of CDOM. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

We measured the absorption coefficients of suspended particles (a(p)(lambda)) during three cruises from coastal waters to open ocean in the northern South China Sea (NSCS). The absorption contributions of phytoplankton (a(ph)(lambda)) and nonalgal particles (a(NAP)(lambda)) were determined using the methanol extraction method. Based on the dataset of about 360 samples, we examined the spectral relationships of the particle absorption coefficients. The results show that a(p)(lambda) spectra are well linearly correlated with a(p)(443) over the wavebands between 420-650 nm; a(ph)(lambda) could be well expressed as the second-order quadratic equations of a(ph)(443) among the blue-green wavebands, and a(NAP)(lambda) follows the general exponential function. Based on these spectral relationships, a model was proposed for partitioning the total particulate absorption coefficients into the contributions of phytoplankton and nonalgal particles using the nonlinear optimization method. The model was validated by comparing the computed results with in situ absorption coefficients. In some wavebands, such as 412 nm, 443 mu, 490 nm and 683 nm, we obtained good correlations with the percentage root mean square error (RMSE) values being controlled within 25% and the slopes being closer to 1.0. For samples from coastal waters, the discrepancy was a little large, which might be due to the higher absorption contributions from certain pheopigments. Overall, this model provides us much insight into phytoplankton absorption retrieval from in situ measurements and remote sensing ocean color data. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In this paper, we study the low optical absorption properties in the ultraviolet and violet spectral regions in KDP nonlinear optical crystals by adopting the photoacoustic piezoelectrical method, calculate the absorption coefficient of KDP crystals using the laser double-wavelength method, and discuss the detection sensitivity of the photoacoustic signal.