Simultaneous measurements of remote lidar chlorophyll and surface CO2 distributions in the Ross Sea

A comparison between continuous lidar fluorosensor chlorophyll-a measurements and partial pressure of CO2 (pCO(2)) in surface water is presented. The data were gathered during the XVI Italian Antarctic expedition in the Western Ross Sea and crossing the Southern Ocean. Anticorrelation between CO2 levels and chlorophyll-a determinations was observed throughout the cruise in the late austral summer 2000/01. The survey revealed the presence of high productivity in polynya regions and close to the ice edges. The lidar data, reported here, are consistent with the results of previous campaigns conducted in the same investigated area. The relationship between pCO(2) and chlorophyll-a concentration are discussed in terms of biologically driven phenomena responsible for the pCO(2) undersaturation with respect to the atmospheric value during the austral summer.