Seasonal variations of the sea surface microlayer at the Boknis Eck Times Series Station (Baltic Sea)

The sea surface microlayer (SML) is the uppermost layer of the water column that links the ocean and atmosphere. It accumulates a variety of biogenic surface-active and buoyant substances, including gelatinous material, such as transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) and Coomassie stainable particles (CSP), potentially affecting air–sea exchange processes. Here, we studied the influence of the annual cycle of phytoplankton production on organic matter (OM) accumulation in the SML relative to the subsurface water (SSW). Sampling was performed monthly from April 2012 to November 2013 at the Boknis Eck Time Series Station (Baltic Sea). For SML sampling, we used the Garrett screen, while SSW samples were collected by Niskin bottles at 1 m depth. Samples were analyzed for carbohydrates, amino acids, TEP, CSP, chlorophyll a (SSW only) and bacterial abundance. Our data showed that the SML reflected the SSW during most parts of the year, with changes mainly responding to bloom formation and decay. OM composition during phytoplankton blooms clearly differed from periods of higher bacterial abundance. Of all components investigated, only the enrichment of total carbohydrates in the SML was inversely related to the wind speed indicating that wind-driven mixing also affected the accumulation of OM in the SML during our study.