ROSES Proposals

At present, satellite-based estimates of phytoplankton biomass (Cphyto) are made using ocean color retrievals of particulate backscatter (bbp) and a fixed scaling factor, but the influence of taxonomic variability on this relationship remains largely unexplored. Our project will use PACE OCI retrievals and phytoplankton community composition (PCC) algorithms to investigate how variability in PCC impacts the relationship between bbp and Cphyto, with implications for carbon cycling in marine ecosystems. The refined Cphyto product will be integrated into PACE NPP algorithms and compared with other existing Cphyto algorithms. This comparative assessment will enable us to evaluate how enhancements in the retrieval of this critical carbon stock impact our understanding of food web dynamics and carbon cycling in the upper ocean.