Chlorophyll, photosynthesis and new production in the Southern California Bight

The study of phytoplankton distributions and processes in these waters has been stimulated in recent years (1) by the synoptic views of surface pigment afforded by the Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS) aboard the NIMBUS-7 satellite; (2) by rapid developments in bio-optical oceanography toward the estimation of in situ photosynthetic rate; (3) by use of sediment traps and geochemical tracers to determine the flux of organic matter from the euphotic zone; and (4) by measurements of new production based on the utilization of nitrate by the plankton. The evolution and rationale of the Joint Global Ocean Flux Study of ocean biogeochemical cycles and ocean climate changes serve to focus much of the work. In that context, a major goal is to assess new/export production on large time and space scales accessible to date only by remote sensing.