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Chlorophyll |
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Chlorophyll (chl-a) is a plant pigment that is one of the most commonly measured biological properties of the oceans. We use chl-a to quantify the abundance or biomass of phytoplankton, and chl-a is also an essential ingredient used to estimate primary productivity. Ocean color measurements of chl-a in the oceans rely on the absorption of light by this pigment and how that absorption affects light that leaves the ocean and can be measured remotely – from satellites and aircraft instruments. Imagery presented on this web site comes from aircraft overflights using instruments described in the Overview. The data set now covers >14 years for the main stem of the Bay and four years for two contrasting tributaries, the Choptank and Patuxent Rivers.
(We are in the process of adding time-series animations for each year's chlorophyll and primary productivity data that we post. Playback of the movie loops may vary according to your browser. For some earlier browsers, it may be necessary to "click" on the first image in the series to begin the loop. If you have problems viewing the animations, please contact us at cbrsp@hpl.umces.edu)
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