Simultaneous measurements of transparency and irradiance in the coastal waters of North Wales

Simultaneous measurements of the diffuse attenuation coefficient, k, and the collinated beam attenuation coefficient, c, were made on a continuous basis at a near-shore site off the north coast of Anglesey, North Wales. A statistical approach to calculating the diffuse attenuation coefficient, k, in coastal waters allowed variations in transparency to be taken into consideration. The ratio of c:k varied throughout the year between approximately 11:1 and 5:1, indicating the changes in the scattering and absorption properties of the water column. The major contribution to coastal turbidity was from the scattering of light by suspended material with the relationship between scattering and absorption being dependent on the nature of the suspended matter.