Role of the dominant cell size, pigment composition of phytoplankton and backscattering on the remote sensing reflectance of the sea

• Grant number: 13/16957-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: November 01, 2013
• End date: June 30, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Oceanography - Biological Oceanography
• Principal Investigator: Aurea Maria Ciotti
• Grantee: Amabile Ferreira
• Host Institution: Centro de Biologia Marinha (CEBIMAR). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Sebastião , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 16/01601-6 - Variations in the package effect of light phytoplankton absorption according to pigment composition and in the particulate backscattering around the tip of Antarctic Peninsula, BE.EP.PD

Abstract

The assessment of spatial and temporal variations of phytoplankton groups is essential for the comprehension of biogeochemical cycles in the oceans. Although several empirical approaches have been proposed to access information of the phytoplankton community from satellite ocean color data, the role of phytoplankton optical properties (light absorption and backscattering) in determining the ocean reflectance is not yet fully understood. Specifically, it remains difficult to elucidate the influence of the pigments composition on the phytoplankton absorption spectra and ultimately on reflectance. Also, the role of phytoplankton and its relative contribution in controlling the magnitude and spectral variations of backscattering community has not been well established. This postdoctoral proposal aims to elucidate some of these aspects on the basis of bio-optical datasets collected around the Antarctic Peninsula, where extreme intracellular concentrations of phytoplankton pigments and low backscattering coefficients relatively to other regions of the global oceans occur.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

FERREIRA, AMABILE; CIOTTI, AUREA M.; GARCIA, CARLOS A. E.. Bio-optical characterization of the northern Antarctic Peninsula waters: Absorption budget and insights on particulate backscattering. DEEP-SEA RESEARCH PART II-TOPICAL STUDIES IN OCEANOGRAPHY, v. 149, n. SI, p. 138-149, MAR 2018. (16/01601-6, 13/16957-2)

FERREIRA, AMABILE; CIOTTI, AUREA M.; MENDES, CARLOS RAFAEL B.; UITZ, JULIA; BRICAUD, ANNICK. Phytoplankton light absorption and the package effect in relation to photosynthetic and photoprotective pigments in the northern tip of Antarctic Peninsula. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-OCEANS, v. 122, n. 9, p. 7344-7363, SEP 2017. (16/01601-6, 13/16957-2)

FERREIRA, AMABILE; CIOTTI, AUREA M.; GARCIA, CARLOS A. E.. Bio-optical characterization of the northern Antarctic Peninsula waters: Absorption budget and insights on particulate backscattering. DEEP-SEA RESEARCH PART II-TOPICAL STUDIES IN OCEANOGRAPHY, v. 149, p. 12-pg., 2018-03-01. (16/01601-6, 13/16957-2)