Determination of the size of suspended organic particles from light scattering phase function and their relationship to the water trophic state
V.I. Mankovskiy, E.V. Mankovskaya
Marine Hydrophysical Institute National Academy of the RAS, Sevastopol, Russia
Keywords: suspended matter, organic particles, phytoplankton cell, Secchi disk, chlorophyll, water trophic state, biogenic matter
Abstract
In this paper, the average radius of suspended organic particles in Atlantic Ocean waters is calculated from the measurements of light scattering phase function. The relationship between average sizes of suspended organic particles calculated from light scattering and the average sizes of phytoplankton cells determined visually using a microscope is established. The relationship between the size of suspended organic particles and the water trophic state is studied. It is ascertained that the average sizes of suspended organic particles increase with a decrease in the water productivity (trophic state). Taking into account the relationship of the average sizes of suspended organic particles with the average sizes of phytoplankton cells, a conclusion is drawn that oligotrophic waters (low trophic state) are dominated by phytoplankton species with cell sizes larger than those of phytoplankton in eutrophic waters (high trophic state).
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