Studio della produzione primaria delle acque marine toscane

Phytoplankton is the main primary producer of organic matter in the sea. Chlorophyll concentration represents a standard index of phytoplankton biomass abundance, and therefore of organic carbon contained and produced (Primary Production). In the last decades the estimation of Primary Production (PP) through simulation models has found the support of satellite images that provide spatial and temporarily distributed information about the concentration of chlorophyll and other major marine bio-physical parameters: sea surface temperature (SST), photosynthetic radiation (PAR), etc.. The present work aims at developing a procedure for obtaining PP maps of the sea area in front of the Tuscany region. A semi-analytical model of the Tuscany marine waters is used to estimate the concentration of chlorophyll, suspended sediments and yellow substance, from the measured MODIS Aqua radiances. The pelagic primary production is then assessed by using these satellite estimates and other information within a bio-optical semianalytical model resolved in wavelength and depth. In this preliminary phase some PP maps have been obtained, that represent the end product prototype, specifically calibrated for the study waters.