AMT scientists have developed a conceptual model which describes how the phytoplankton community structure changes as total phytoplankton biomass (as indicated by chlorophyll concentration) changes. The model was developed using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and bio-optical data collected on AMT transects.
The findings have then been extrapolated to the global ocean using satellite Earth observation and it is envisaged that future applications will include validating multi-plankton biogeochemical models and improving primary-production estimates by accounting for community composition.
Brewin, R.J.W., Sathyendranath, S., Hirata, T., Lavender, S., Barciela, R.M., & Hardman- Mountford, N.J. (2010). A three-component model of phytoplankton size class for the Atlantic Ocean. Ecological Modelling 221, 1472-1483.
Dr Bob Brewin
Ocean Colour Climate Change Initiative Scientist
Port Stanley, Falkland Islands - Southampton, UK
Southampton, UK - Punta Arenas, Chile
Harwich, Essex - Falklands
Hosted at Plymouth Marine Laboratory, funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council.