Fast Repetition Rate fluorometry-based measurements of phytoplankton photo-physiology in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, Aug 2019

This dataset was collected for high resolution spatiotemporal analysis of phytoplankton photophysiological characteristics, to elucidate fine-scale variability in phytoplankton photosynthetic capacities as they relate to hydrographic conditions, nutrient abundances, and light influences. Such oceanographic conditions are highly dynamic and rapidly evolving in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago where sampling took place. Therefore documenting environmental influences on Arctic phytoplankton photophysiology requires ocean observing methods capable of high resolution measurements. For this reason, we deployed Fast Repetition Rate fluorometry to rapidly and simultaneously measure phytoplankton light harvesting and light utilization efficiencies. We were thus able to produce a map of phytoplankton photo-physiology along the cruise track through Baffin Bay and Lancaster Sound. Our high resolution measurements enabled us to relate spatial variability in photophysiology to localized regions of enhanced nutrient abundances due to riverine inputs and tidal mixing, while temporal variability in photophysiology was related to diel solar cycles. Hydrographic variables complimentary to this dataset were measured by Amundsen Science and are available here doi: 10.5884/12715.