STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL-CHARACTERISTICS OF COMMUNITIES OF OPEN-OCEAN EPIPELAGIC LAYER IN THE WATERS OF DIFFERENT PRODUCTIVITY, ASSESSED BY OBSERVATION FROM SPACE

According to the chlorophyll distribution charts obtained from ''Nimbu s-7'' NASA satellite, the areas of different productivity were marked out. For each area the ecosystems of the productive ocean layer (200 m ) were studied in autumn 1991 from R/V ''Vityaz''. The vertical profil es were constructed for the main ecosystem elements: physical paramete rs, nutrients, chlorophyll, primary production, size fractions of phyt oplankton, bacteria, protozoans, mesoplankton. Relationships were obta ined between these characteristics in 200-meter layer and surface chlo rophyll concentration estimated from satellite. The total and regenera ted primary production, detritus production and its flow through the l ower boundary of euphotic zone were calculated for waters of different productivity.