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A field study on the conversion ratio of phytoplankton biomass carbon to chlorophyll-a in Jiaozhou Bay, China

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Abstract

A one-year field study was conducted to determine the conversion ratio of phytoplankton biomass carbon (Phyto-C) to chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) in Jiaozhou Bay, China. We measured suspended particulate organic carbon (POC) and phytoplankton Chl-a samples collected in surface water monthly from March 2005 to February 2006. The temporal and spatial variations of Chl-a and POC concentrations were observed in the bay. Based on the field measurements, a linear regression model II was used to generate the conversion ratio of Phyto-C to Chl-a. In most cases, a good linear correlation was found between the observed POC and Chl-a concentrations, and the calculated conversion ratios ranged from 26 to 250 with a mean value of 56 µg µg−1. The conversion ratio in the fall was higher than that in the winter and spring months, and had the lowest values in the summer. The ratios also exhibited spatial variations, generally with low values in the near shore regions and relatively high values in offshore waters. Our study suggests that temperature was likely to be the main factor influencing the observed seasonal variations of conversion ratios while nutrient supply and light penetration played important roles in controlling the spatial variations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, China

    Shuguo Lü  (吕淑果) & Xuchen Wang  (王旭晨)

  2. Graduate School, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100039, China

    Shuguo Lü  (吕淑果)

  3. Hainan Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Haikou, 570206, China

    Shuguo Lü  (吕淑果)

  4. Institute of Hydrobiology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China

    Boping Han  (韩博平)

Authors
  1. Shuguo Lü  (吕淑果)
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  2. Xuchen Wang  (王旭晨)
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  3. Boping Han  (韩博平)
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Correspondence to Boping Han  (韩博平).

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Supported by the Knowledge Innovation Project of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Nos. KZCX3-SW-214; KZCX-YW-213-3)

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Lü, S., Wang, X. & Han, B. A field study on the conversion ratio of phytoplankton biomass carbon to chlorophyll-a in Jiaozhou Bay, China. Chin. J. Ocean. Limnol. 27, 793–805 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00343-009-9221-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00343-009-9221-0

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