Express method for chlorophyll concentration assessment

Abstract

We propose this fluorescent express method for the assessment of the chlorophyll a concentration in seawater. The method is based on spectral fluorescence measurements obtained with excitation at different wavelengths. A relatively simple two-channel laser spectrometer is used for measurements. In this case, preliminary preparation of samples is not required. We estimated the errors of the method by comparison with the results of direct measurements of the chlorophyll a concentration. A large array of measurement data obtained in the seas of the North Atlantic and the Arctic was used for the analysis. The possibility of reducing errors in the transition from one-dimensional regression to multidimensional is shown. It has also been shown that the accuracy of the assessment is comparable to the fluorescent extraction methods for determining the chlorophyll a concentration: errors of 40–50% when using the general formula and 20–35% after post-cruise calibration.

Keywords

• Seawater fluorescence
• Spectral fluorescence
• Chlorophyll concentration
• Colored dissolved organic matter
• Multiple regression
• Arctic