Global yearly observation of different phytoplankton groups using PhytoDOAS on SCIAMACHY data: validation and first application.

Global information on the quantitative distribution of major functional phytoplankton types (PFTs) of the world ocean is important for understanding the marine phytoplankton’s role in the global marine ecosystem. This study shows global biomass distributions from 2008 of different dominant PFTs analysed with PhytoDOAS, a method of Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (DOAS) currently specialized for diatoms and cyanobacteria [1] from satellite data of SCIAMACHY (Scanning Imaging Absorption Spectrometer for Atmospheric Cartography) on ENVISAT. PhytoDOAS global maps of phytoplankton distribution are validated with collocated pigment water samples analyzed via HPLC. The global PFT satellite data sets are used as input data for and for validation of a biogeochemical model.