Amodified discrete element model for sea ice dynamics

Considering the discontinuous characteristics of sea ice on various scales,a modified discrete element model（DEM） for sea ice dynamics is developed based on the granular material rheology.In this modified DEM,a soft sea ice particle element is introduced as a self-adjustive particle size function.Each ice particle can be treated as an assembly of ice floes,with its concentration and thickness changing to variable sizes under the conservation of mass.In this model,the contact forces among ice particles are calculated using a viscous-elastic-plastic model,while the maximum shear forces are described with the Mohr-Coulomb friction law.With this modified DEM,the ice flow dynamics is simulated under the drags of wind and current in a channel of various widths.The thicknesses,concentrations and velocities of ice particles are obtained,and then reasonable dynamic process is analyzed.The sea ice dynamic process is also simulated in a vortex wind field.Taking the influence of thermodynamics into account,this modified DEM will be improved in the future work.     

2007和2012年北极最小海冰范围空间分布不同的原因分析

Satellite records show the minimum Arctic sea ice extents(SIEs) were observed in the Septembers of 2007 and2012, but the spatial distributions of sea ice concentration reduction in these two years were quite different.Atmospheric circulation pattern and the upper-ocean state in summer were investigated to explain the difference.By employing the ice-temperature and ice-specific humidity(SH) positive feedbacks in the Arctic Ocean, this paper shows that in 2007 and 2012 the higher surface air temperature(SAT) and sea level pressure(SLP)accompanied by more surface SH and higher sea surface temperature(SST), as a consequence, the strengthened poleward wind was favorable for melting summer Arctic sea ice in different regions in these two years. SAT was the dominant factor influencing the distribution of Arctic sea ice melting. The correlation coefficient is –0.84 between SAT anomalies in summer and the Arctic SIE anomalies in autumn. The increase SAT in different regions in the summers of 2007 and 2012 corresponded to a quicker melting of sea ice in the Arctic. The SLP and related wind were promoting factors connected with SAT. Strengthening poleward winds brought warm moist air to the Arctic and accelerated the melting of sea ice in different regions in the summers of 2007 and 2012. Associated with the rising air temperature, the higher surface SH and SST also played a positive role in reducing summer Arctic sea ice in different regions in these two years, which form two positive feedbacks mechanism.     

Application of an ice-ocean coupled model to Bohai Sea ice simulation

The HAMSOM(Hamburg Shelf Ocean Model),a high-resolution regional ice-ocean coupled model,was applied to investigate the seasonal evolution of Bohai Sea ice for winter 2015/2016.HAMSOM was initialized with monthly climatological temperature and salinity data from WOA13 and driven by hourly meteorological data obtained from the NCEP above the sea surface and tides at the open boundary.The ice model used here is a modifi ed Hibler-type dynamic-thermodynamic sea ice model based upon viscous-plastic rheology.The ice extent,concentration,area,thickness,length of ice season as well as the distance between the top of Liaodong Bay(North China)and the outer ice edge line were simulated and compared with the observed data.Three types of modeling experiments were carried out to investigate the eff ects of wind,tide,and both wind and tide on Bohai Sea ice.The results show that wind,as both a dynamic and a thermodynamic factor,has a signifi cant impact on the ice thickness,ice area,and ice-freezing and ice breakup dates as well as the ice velocity,while tides are a dynamic factor that infl uences only the ice velocity.During the severe ice period,the wind speed intensity increased by 25%,the average ice thickness thickened by approximately 4.0 cm in Liaodong Bay,approximately 2.1 cm in Bohai Bay and approximately 2.5 cm in Laizhou Bay,and the total ice coverage area and total ice actual area increased by about 2×104 km 2 and 1.4×104 km 2,respectively.While the tidal amplitude intensity increased by 25%,the average ice velocity increased by approximately 0.1 m/s.     

渤海模型冰运动特征的现场观测研究

Sea ice drift is mainly controlled by ocean currents, local wind, and internal ice stress. Information on sea ice motion, especially in situ synchronous observation of an ice velocity, a current velocity, and a wind speed, is of great significance to identify ice drift characteristics. A sea ice substitute, the so-called "modelled ice", which is made by polypropylene material with a density similar to Bohai Sea ice, is used to complete a free drift experiment in the open sea. The trajectories of isolated modelled ice, currents and wind in the Bohai Sea during non-frozen and frozen periods are obtained. The results show that the currents play a major role while the wind plays a minor role in the free drift of isolated modelled ice when the wind is mild in the Bohai Sea. The modelled ice drift is significantly affected by the ocean current and wind based on the ice–current–wind relationship established by a multiple linear regression. The modelled ice velocity calculated by the multiple linear regression is close to that of the in situ observation, the magnitude of the error between the calculated and observed ice velocities is less than12.05%, and the velocity direction error is less than 6.21°. Thus, the ice velocity can be estimated based on the observed current velocity and wind speed when the in situ observed ice velocity is missing. And the modelled ice of same thickness with a smaller density is more sensitive to the current velocity and the wind speed changes. In addition, the modelled ice drift characteristics are shown to be close to those of the real sea ice, which indicates that the modelled ice can be used as a good substitute of real ice for in situ observation of the free ice drift in the open sea, which helps solve time availability, safety and logistics problems related to in situ observation on real ice.     

基于高光谱遥感的渤海海冰厚度半经验模型

Sea ice thickness is one of the most important input parameters for the prevention and mitigation of sea ice disasters and the prediction of local sea environments and climates. Estimating the sea ice thickness is currently the most important issue in the study of sea ice remote sensing. With the Bohai Sea as the study area, a semiempirical model of the sea ice thickness(SEMSIT) that can be used to estimate the thickness of first-year ice based on existing water depth estimation models and hyperspectral remote sensing data according to an optical radiative transfer process in sea ice is proposed. In the model, the absorption and scattering properties of sea ice in different bands(spectral dimension information) are utilized. An integrated attenuation coefficient at the pixel level is estimated using the height of the reflectance peak at 1 088 nm. In addition, the surface reflectance of sea ice at the pixel level is estimated using the 1 550–1 750 nm band reflectance. The model is used to estimate the sea ice thickness with Hyperion images. The first validation results suggest that the proposed model and parameterization scheme can effectively reduce the estimation error associated with the sea ice thickness that is caused by temporal and spatial heterogeneities in the integrated attenuation coefficient and sea ice surface. A practical semi-empirical model and parameterization scheme that may be feasible for the sea ice thickness estimation using hyperspectral remote sensing data are potentially provided.     

2018年北极太平洋区域夏季海冰物理及光学性质的研究

The reduction in Arctic sea ice in summer has been reported to have a significant impact on the global climate. In this study, Arctic sea ice/snow at the end of the melting season in 2018 was investigated during CHINARE-2018, in terms of its temperature, salinity, density and textural structure, the snow density, water content and albedo, as well as morphology and albedo of the refreezing melt pond. The interior melting of sea ice caused a strong stratification of temperature, salinity and density. The temperature of sea ice ranged from –0.8℃ to 0℃, and exhibited linear cooling with depth. The average salinity and density of sea ice were approximately 1.3 psu and 825 kg/m~3, respectively, and increased slightly with depth. The first-year sea ice was dominated by columnar grained ice. Snow cover over all the investigated floes was in the melt phase, and the average water content and density were 0.74% and 241 kg/m~3, respectively. The thickness of the thin ice lid ranged from 2.2 cm to 7.0 cm, and the depth of the pond ranged from 1.8 cm to 26.8 cm. The integrated albedo of the refreezing melt pond was in the range of 0.28–0.57. Because of the thin ice lid, the albedo of the melt pond improved to twice as high as that of the mature melt pond. These results provide a reference for the current state of Arctic sea ice and the mechanism of its reduction.     

海洋二号微波散射计极地海冰识别算法研究

An Antarctic sea ice identification algorithm on the HY-2A scatterometer(HSCAT) employs backscattering coefficient(σ0) and active polarization ratio(APR) for a preliminary sea ice identification.Then standard deviation(STD) filtering and space filtering are carried out.Finally,it is used to identify sea ice.A process uses a σ0,STD threshold and an APR as sea ice indicators.The sea ice identification results are verified using the sea ice distribution data of the ASMR2 released by the National Snow and Ice Data Center as a reference.The results show very good consistence of sea ice development trends,seasonal changes,area distribution,and sea ice edge distribution of the sea ice identification results obtained by this algorithm relative to the ASMR2 sea ice results.The accuracy of a sea ice coverage is 90.8% versus the ASMR2 sea ice results.This indicates that this algorithm is reliable.     

西沙周边海域海平面异常变化特征及成因分析

Based on the analysis of wind,ocean currents,sea surface temperature(SST) and remote sensing satellite altimeter data,the characteristics and possible causes of sea level anomalies in the Xisha sea area are investigated.The main results are shown as follows:(1) Since 1993,the sea level in the Xisha sea area was obviously higher than normal in 1998,2001,2008,2010 and 2013.Especially,the sea level in 1998 and 2010 was abnormally high,and the sea level in 2010 was 13.2 cm higher than the muti-year mean,which was the highest in the history.In 2010,the sea level in the Xisha sea area had risen 43 cm from June to August,with the strength twice the annual variation range.(2) The sea level in the Xisha sea area was not only affected by the tidal force of the celestial bodies,but also closely related to the quasi 2 a periodic oscillation of tropical western Pacific monsoon and ENSO events.(3)There was a significant negative correlation between sea level in the Xisha sea area and ENSO events.The high sea level anomaly all happened during the developing phase of La Ni?a.They also show significant negative correlations with Ni?o 4 and Ni?o 3.4 indices,and the lag correlation coefficients for 2 months and 3 months are–0.46 and –0.45,respectively.(4) During the early La Ni?a event form June to November in 2010,the anomalous wind field was cyclonic.A strong clockwise vortex was formed for the current in 25 m layer in the Xisha sea area,and the velocity of the current is close to the speed of the Kuroshio near the Luzon Strait.In normal years,there is a "cool eddy".While in 2010,from July to August,the SST in the area was 2–3°C higher than that of the same period in the history.     

Effect of the drag coefficient on a typhoon wave model

The effect of the drag coefficient on a typhoon wave model is investigated.Drag coefficients for Pingtan Island are derived from the progress of nine typhoons using COARE 3.0 software.The wind parameters are obtained using the Weather Research and Forecasting model.The simulation of wind agrees well with observations.Typhoon wave fields are then simulated using the third-generation wave model SWAN.The wave model includes exponential and linear growths of the wind input,which determine the wave-growth mode.A triple triangular mesh is adopted with spatial resolution as fine as 100 m nearshore.The SWAN model performs better when using the new drag coefficient rather than the original coefficient.     

多极化SAR溢油探测影响因素分析研究

Polarimetric synthetic aperture radar(SAR) oil spill detection parameters conformity coefficient(μ), Muller matrix parameters(|C|, B_0), the eigenvalues of simplified coherency matrix(λ_(nos)) and the influence of SAR observing parameters, ocean environment and noise level are investigated. Radarsat-2 data are used to make systematic analysis of polarimetric parameters for different incidences, wind speeds, noise levels and the ocean phenomena(oil slick and look likes). The influence of the SAR observing parameters, the ocean environment and the noise level on the typical polarimetric SAR parameter conformity coefficient has been analyzed. The results indicate that conformity coefficient cannot be simply used for oil spill detection, which represents the image signal to the noise level to some extent. When the signals are below the noise level for the oil slick and the look likes, the conformity coefficients are negative; while the signals above the noise level corresponds to positive conformity coefficients. For dark patches(low wind and biogenic slick) with the signal below the noise,polarization features such as conformity coefficient cannot separate them with oil slick. For the signal above the noise, the oil slick, the look likes(low wind and biogenic slick) and clean sea all have positive conformity coefficients, among which, the oil slick has the smallest conformity coefficient, the look likes the second, and the clean sea the largest value. For polarimetric SAR data oil spill detection, the noise plays a significant role. So the polarimetric SAR data oil spill detection should be carried out on the basis of noise consideration.     

C波段紧缩极化SAR海冰探测能力评估

The C-band synthetic aperture radar(SAR) data from the Bohai Sea of China, the Labrador Sea in the Arctic and the Weddell Sea in the Antarctic are used to analyze and discuss the sea ice full polarimetric information reconstruction ability under compact polarimetric modes. The type of compact polarimetric mode which has the highest reconstructed accuracy is analyzed, along with the performance impact of the reconstructed pseudo quad-pol SAR data on the sea ice detection and sea ice classification. According to the assessment and analysis, it is recommended to adopt the CTLR mode for reconstructing the polarimetric parameters σ_(HH)~0,σ_(VV)~0, H and α,while for reconstructing the polarimetric parameters σ_(HV)~0, ρ_(H-V), λ_1 and λ_2, it is recommended to use the π/4 mode.Moreover, it is recommended to use the π/4 mode in studying the action effects between the electromagnetic waves and sea ice, but it is recommended to use the CTLR mode for studying the sea ice classification.     

Combined tidal ice drift and ice-induced changes in the dynamics and energy of the combined tide on the Siberian continental shelf

The results of a simulation of the combined tidal ice drift corresponding to a linear superposition of the M ₂, S ₂, K ₁, and O ₁ harmonics of the tidal generating force are discussed. Also, ice-induced maximal (during the tropical month, i.e., over 27.322 mean solar days) values of the dynamic and energy characteristics of combined motions are estimated in the marginal seas of the Siberian continental shelf. Special attention was paid to the revealing of zones of compression-rarefaction and zones of ice floe ridging.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">In-situ</Emphasis> measured primary productivity of ice algae in Arctic sea ice floes using a new incubation method

Recent changes in climate and environmental conditions have had great negative effects such as decreasing sea ice thickness and the extent of Arctic sea ice floes that support ice-related organisms. However, limited field observations hinder the understanding of the impacts of the current changes in the previously ice-covered regions on sea ice algae and other ice-related ecosystems. Our main objective in this study was to measure recent primary production of ice algae and their relative contribution to total primary production (ice plus pelagic primary production). In-situ primary productivity experiments with a new incubation system for ice algae were conducted in 3 sea ice cores at 2 different ice camps in the northern Chukchi Sea, 2014, using a ¹³C and ¹⁵N isotope tracer technique. A new incubation system was tested for conducting primary productivity experiments on ice algae that has several advantages over previous incubation methods, enabling stable carbon and nitrogen uptake experiments on ice algae under more natural environmental conditions. The vertical C-shaped distributions of the ice algal chl-a, with elevated concentrations at the top and bottom of the sea ice were observed in all cores, which is unusual for Arctic sea ice. The mean chl-a concentration (0.05 ± 0.03 mg chl-a m^?3) and the daily carbon uptake rates (ranging from 0.55 to 2.23 mg C m^?2 d^?1) for the ice algae were much lower in this study than in previous studies in the Arctic Ocean. This is likely because of the late sampling periods and thus the substantial melting occurring. Ice algae contributed 1.5–5.7% of the total particulate organic carbon (POC) contents of the combined euphotic water columns and sea ice floes. In comparison, ice algae contributed 4.8–8.6% to the total primary production which is greater than previously reported in the Arctic Ocean. If all of the ice-associated productions were included, the contributions of the sea ice floes to the total primary production would be greater in the Arctic Ocean and their importance would be greater in the arctic marine ecosystems.     

On the spatial–temporal variations in the chlorophyll-<Emphasis Type="Italic">a</Emphasis> concentration on the Peter the Great Bay shelf during the winter–spring phytoplankton bloom according to satellite and subsatellite data

Chlorophyll-a concentration (C _chl) variations in the cross section within and outside the Peter the Great Bay shelf during different stages of the winter–spring phytoplankton bloom in 2003–2005 has been considered based on a ship (obtained during the R/V Akademik M.A. Lavrent’ev voyage of February 26 to March 9, 2003) and MODIS-Aqua spectroradiometer and the SeaWiFS color-scanner satellite data. A comparison of the C _chl variability obtained from the ship and satellite data indicates that these data are inconsistent. According to satellite data obtained at the MUMM atmospheric correction, the C _chl variability is distorted less than the NIR-correction data. Studying the variations in the coefficients of light absorption by the detritus and yellow substance (a _dg) and light backscattering by suspended particles (b _bp), C _chl, chlorophyll-a fluorescence (F _chl) according to the satellite data allow us to state that the variations in the discrepancy between the satellite and ship C _chl values are mainly caused by the variations in the content of the detritus and yellow substance in water. Based on the satellite data, it has been revealed that the a _dg values increase with increasing wind mixing after the phytoplankton bloom (about 2–5 km areas where the a _dg, C _chl, F _chl, and bbp values abruptly increased in 2005, apparently due to eddy formation). It has been indicated that the F _chl characteristic, which is close to C _chl, increases when the favorable conditions for the phytoplankton bloom deteriorate. Therefore, this characteristic cannot be used to identify C _chl under the indicated conditions.     

Features of the atmospheric boundary layer block for three versions of the WAM wind wave model

The estimated characteristics of the atmospheric boundary layer, obtained by the simulation of wind wave fields using three versions of the WAM numerical model are compared with the well-known empirical dependences of drag coefficient C _d on wind speed U ₁₀ and wave age A, as well as with the dependence of dimensionless roughness height z _n on inverse wave age u*/с р. Calculations carried out for several years in the areas of the Pacific and Indian oceans, based on the ERA-interim and CFSR wind reanalyses have shown good agreement between the model and empirical dependences C _d (U ₁₀) and C _d (A). The range of estimated variability for z _n (u*/с _р ) has been found to be significantly less than empirical. It has been also found that estimated values of wind speed U _10W (t) are overestimated from 5 to 10% in all versions of WAM models compared with the input wind reanalysis U _10R (t) at the moments of appearance maximum values of wind U _10R (t). The reasons for the established features of the WAM model and their dependence on the model version are discussed.     

海水石油类物质吸收系数遥感化提取算法研究

Establishing the remote sensing algorithm of retrieving the absorption coefficient of seawater petroleum substances is an efficient way to improve the accuracy of retrieving a seawater petroleum concentration using a remote sensing technology. A remote sensing reflectance is a basic physical parameter in water color remote sensing. Apply it to directly retrieve the absorption coefficient of seawater petroleum substances is of potential advantage. The absorption coefficient of waters containing petroleum [ACWCP, a_o(λ)], consists of the absorption coefficient of pure water [ACPW, a_w(λ)], plankton [ACP, a_(ph)(λ)], colored scraps [ACCS, a_(d,g)(λ)], and petroleum substance [ACPS, a_(oil)(λ)]. Among those, ACCS consists of the absorption coefficient of nonalgal particle [ACNP, a_d(λ)] and colored dissolved organic matter [ACCDOM, a_g(λ)]. For waters containing petroleum, the retrieved ACCS using the existing method is a combination absorption coefficient of ACNP,ACCDOM and ACPA [CAC, a_(d,g,oil)(λ)]. Therefore, the principle question is how to extract ACPS from CAC.Through the analysis of the three proportion tests conducted between the year of 2013 and 2015 and the corresponding remote sensing data, an algorithm of retrieving the absorption coefficient of petroleum substances is proposed based on remote sensing reflectance. First of all, ACPS and CAC are retrieved from the reflectance using the quasi-analytical algorithm(QAA), with some parameter modified. Secondly, given the fact that the backscatter coefficient [BC, b_(bp)(555)] of total particles at 555 nm can be obtained completely from the reflectance, the relation between BC and ACNP in petroleum contaminated water can be established. As a result, ACNP can be calculated. Then, combining the remote sensing retrieving algorithm of a_g(440), the method of achieving the spectral slope of the absorption coefficient can be established, from which ACCDOM,can be calculated. Finally, ACPS can be computed as the residual. The accuracy of ACPS based on this algorithm is 86% compared with the in situ measurements.     

Variability of Particulate Organic Phosphorus in the Northwestern Part of the Black Sea

Based on long-term (1985–1995) monitoring data, the paper considers the peculiarities of seasonal variability in the spatial and vertical distribution of particulate organic phosphorus (Р_POM) in the surface layer and in the photosynthetic zone in the northwestern Black Sea. Regression equations, experimental data, and satellite observations for the chlorophyll a concentration allowed us to evaluate the seasonal longterm (1979–1995) variability in Р_POM in the surface layer and photosynthesis zone. The ratios of the concentrations of particulate organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and chlorophyll a are calculated and statistical estimates of seasonal changes in the Р_POM in the areas with different degrees of influence of river runoff and water of open seas are obtained. The consistency of intra-annual changes in the concentrations of Р_POM, chlorophyll a, and phytoplankton biomass is shown, which indicates the role of phytoplankton in the formation of Р_POM and in its intra- and interannual variability in the northwestern part of the sea. It is shown that long-term seasonal variations in Р_POM and related changes in the concentration of chlorophyll a depend on the variability of bulk river runoff, the extent of its abundance in the northwestern shelf, and regional hydrometeorological conditions.     

Spatiotemporal variability of chlorophyll <Emphasis Type="Italic">a</Emphasis> in the Altantic and Indian sectors of the Southern Ocean during February–April of 2000 according to satellite and expeditionary data

In February and April 2000, in the Southern Ocean between Africa and Antarctica, the concentration of chlorophyll (C _chs) in the surface layer was not high (0.1–0.3 mg/m³). The zones of increased C _chs values (0.6–2.0 and over 2.0 mg/m³) were located between the Southern Subtropical and Subantarctic fronts, near the Polar front, and to the south of the Antarctic Divergence. From February to April, in the open areas of the Southern Ocean, a general C _chs decrease was observed. A similar trend was also noted in the near-shore seas of the East Antarctic. At the shelf of the Sea of Cosmonauts, within the upper mixed layer, the content of chlorophyll amounted to 0.34–0.37 mg/m³. In the area of the continental slope, we registered the formation of a subsurface chlorophyll maximum (0.52–0.56 mg/m³) at a 20-m depth, which deepened to 70 m when passing to the deep-water area. The positive correlation with a high coefficient (r = 0.939) between the field and satellite data (C _chs and C _sat, respectively) allows one to conclude about the applicability of the SeaWiFS algorithm for the estimation of the chlorophyll content within the surface layer in the Antarctic areas studied. In the course of the ice formation in Prydz Bay, during five days, the content of chlorophyll in different phases of the new ice increased by a factor of 2.9, whereas the values of this parameter in the surrounding waters remained quite invariable. The C _sat values were 6.3 times as high as those obtained experimentally for the sludge ice. Because of the large areas occupied by floating ice, the sole usage of satellite data may cause great errors in the productivity estimation of the East Antarctic seas.     

Photosynthetic pigments as indicators of phytoplankton development during spring and summer in Adventfjorden (Spitsbergen)

The study was carried out from April 30 until July 13 of 1997 in Adventfjorden (Spitsbergen). Formation of less saline and warmer surface water (～1 m thick) caused by melting of the fast ice was observed in the fjord during the first days of May. In summer a less saline surface layer was about 3 m thick. Euphotic depth measured under ice sheet reached 12 m, whereas load of mineral matter brought with riverine discharge in summer (the content of total particulate matter in the fjord reached 1.66 kg m^?2) dramatically reduced euphotic zone depth to 0.35 m. By pigment measurement three phases of phytoplankton development in Adventfjorden were distinguished: (1) spring bloom that has started under fast ice and reached maximum in the mid of May, (2) stagnation period in June, (3) increase of pigment concentration in July, what could indicate a start of the next algae bloom. Analyses of chlorophylls and carotenoids revealed that diatoms (chl c, fucoxanthin), and green algae (chl b, lutein) dominated phytoplankton community in the fjord. Moreover, the presence of peridinin indicates the presence of Dinophyta and alloxanthin—the occurence of Cryptophyta. In May and June 1997 phytoplankton appeared mainly in the surface of water, while in July, as a result of inflow of turbulent riverine waters into Adventfjorden, algae cells were pushed down and the highest numbers were observed at the depth ～20 m. Great phaeopigments to chl a ratio (= 0.54) found in the fjord seston in June and July probably shows strong impact of zooplankton grazing on phytoplankton development. High contribution of chlorophyllide a in porphyrin a poll in samples collected under fast ice (chlorophyllide a/chl a ratio = 0.18) reflects the final stage of algal communitie succession in ice, just before spring ice melt and release of biota to oceanic water. Chloropyllide a content during summer was minor or not detectable, demonstrating that diatom cells were in good physiological condition. High chl a allomer/chl a ratio (average = 0.11 for the period investigated) confirms high oxygen concentration in environment of Adventfjorden.     

Measuring chlorophyll <Emphasis Type="Italic">a</Emphasis> concentrations in the Sea of Japan using probe and flow fluorimeters

The spatial variability of chlorophyll a concentrations was studied from the data of two near-shore expeditions and the cruise of the R/V Akademik M.A. Lavrent’ev in October–November 2010 over the northwestern part of the Sea of Japan. The sections across eddies showed a maximum of chlorophyll a at a depth of 40 m. According to the data from the cruise, the chlorophyll a concentration was maximum in the north of the sea and decreased to the south. In parallel, the procedures for chlorophyll a determination were compared for spectrophotometry with a fluorescence probe and a fluorescence flow system. The probe data of chlorophyll a fluorescence showed a high correlation with the chlorophyll a concentrations by spectrophotometry. On the contrary, data on chlorophyll a concentrations from spectrophotometry did not agree with those from the flow system. It was shown that a fluorimeter in the flow system recorded dissolved organic matter along with the chlorophyll a fluorescence.