Primary production in the Bay of Bengal during August 1977

Abstract

Primary production, chlorophyll a , phaeophytin, phytoplankton and particulate organic carbon (POC) were studied at 14 stations in the Bay of Bengal during August 1977. Column primary production, chlorophyll a , and phaeopigments varied from 0.14 to 5.59 g C/m(to the power 2)/day, 2.1 to 23.6 mg/m(to the power 2) and 1.9 to 15.73 mg/m(to the power 2) respectively. Column concentration of POC varied from 2.57 to 10.49 g/m (to the power 2). A mixed diatom bloom located at station 657 comprised mainly of Thalassiosira subtilis , followed by Skeletonema costatum, Thalassiothrix sp., Navicula spp. and Coscinodiscus spp. The diatom concentrations at surface and 5 m were 3.6 x 10(to the power 5) and 4.5 x 10(to the power 5) cells/l, where T. subtilis contributed 3.3 and 3.6 x 10(to the power 5) cells/l