Phytoplankton optical fingerprint libraries for development of phytoplankton ocean color satellite products

Quantifying changes in phytoplankton communities using ocean color is essential for predicting ocean food resources, occurrences of harmful algal blooms, and carbon and other elemental cycles, among other predictions.  Here we present a dataset of greater than fifty strains of phytoplankton, from a range of taxonomic lineages, geographic locations, and time in culture, alone and in mixtures, grown to exponential and/or stationary phase for determination of hyperspectral UV-VIS absorption coefficients, multi-angle and multi-spectral backscatter coefficients, volume scattering functions, particle size distributions, fluorescence, and hyperspectral remote sensing reflectance.  The measurements obtained from these experiments are valuable to facilitate development of new global and/or regional ocean color models by the broader scientific community.  , A range of experimental conditions were used to assess changes in cellular carbon, pigments, ratios and optical properties.  For most of the strains, measurements were made at two growth stages: mid-exponential (Exp) and stationary (Stat) growth phase, but for some strains, measurements were made during only one growth phase. A range of mixed cultures were made to assess the ability of algorithms derived from individual cultures to resolve the known algal components in the prepared mixtures. The potential for changes in pigment composition in response to in vitro culture adaption over time was assessed by studying multiple strains of the same species (Amphidinium carterae, Ditylum brightwellii, and Heterosigma akashiwo) isolated on different historical dates, but from similar geographic areas.  Synechococcus sp., Thalassiosira oceanica, and Ostreococcus lucimarinus were examined for their response in pigment composition, cellular carbon, and optical properties to ‘climate change scenari..., , # README\_optics.txt

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Phytoplankton Optical Fingerprint Libraries for Development of Phytoplankton Ocean Color Satellite Products
Michael W. Lomas1, Aimee R. Neeley2, Ryan Vandermeulen2,*, Antonio Mannino3, Crystal Thomas2, Michael G. Novak2, Scott A. Freeman2
1 Bigelow Institute of Ocean Sciences, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean 6Sciences, East Boothbay, ME 04544, USA
2 NASA Goddard Space Flight Center/Science Systems and Applications Inc., Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, USA
3 NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, USA

* Current Address: NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910, USA.

Contact Michael W. Lomas ()for any questions about the data.

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The dataset comprises bio-optical data collected from 50+ pure phytoplankton cultures that represent broad taxonomic diversity from a broad geographic range of original isolation. Data were collected from phytoplankton cultures in exponential and stationary growth phase...