Yz. Yacobi et al., CHLOROPHYLL DISTRIBUTION THROUGHOUT THE SOUTHEASTERN MEDITERRANEAN INRELATION TO THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF THE WATER MASS, Journal of marine systems, 6(3), 1995, pp. 179-190
The spatial distribution of chlorophyll was recorded throughout the so
uthern part of the Levantine Basin of the eastern Mediterranean and wa
s related to patterns of the physical structure and nutrient concentra
tions. Chlorophyll a concentration in the upper 200 m of the water col
umn ranged from 9.2 to 423 ng l(-1), with an overall mean of 126+/-85.
6 (SD) ng l(-1). The pattern of vertical distribution of chlorophyll w
as close to uniform throughout the basin, with a prominent deep chloro
phyll maximum (DCM) of ca. 250 ng l(-1) at 90-110 m. The values we rep
ort fall at the lower end of ranges reported from other oligotrophic s
eas, in accordance with the ultra-oligotrophic nature of the eastern M
editerranean. Throughout the basin more than 90% of the chlorophyll at
the surface was confined to particles <10 mu in diameter and more tha
n 60% was found in particles <2 mu. The proportion of chlorophyll in <
2 mu, particles increased with depth between the surface and the DCM,
as was also confirmed by flow cytometric analysis. Discontinuities of
physical and chemical features were mostly confined to depths greater
than 200 m, and had little impact on the distribution of chlorophyll.
An exception was an anti cyclonic eddy south of Crete, within which ch
lorophyll (mostly > 100 mu g l(-1)) was more evenly distributed with d
epth over the upper 200 m.