AUTHOR=Gui Jiang , Sun Jun 

TITLE=Phytoplankton carbon to chlorophyll a model development: a review

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Marine Science

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2024.1466072

DOI=10.3389/fmars.2024.1466072

ISSN=2296-7745

ABSTRACT=<p>The cellular carbon content and chlorophyll a (Chl <italic>a</italic>) concentration are two of the most significant indices for assessing phytoplankton biomass. Recording and monitoring these biomasses are essential tasks in phytoplankton research, and the carbon-to-chlorophyll a (C:Chl <italic>a</italic>) ratio serves as a crucial conversion tool between them. Although the C:Chl <italic>a</italic> ratio varies widely, it is influenced by external environmental factors, making modeling studies of C:Chl <italic>a</italic> particularly important. This paper provides an overview of the historical development of the C:Chl <italic>a</italic> model, beginning with early empirical models and progressing to the development of mechanistic models. This discussion is followed by an examination of existing gaps and future challenges in current C:Chl <italic>a</italic> modeling, particularly the potential underestimation of carbon biomass in existing C:Chl <italic>a</italic> models for dinoflagellates exhibiting multiple growth strategies. Finally, it is suggested that future C:Chl <italic>a</italic> models should strive to achieve a balance between reliability and applicability.</p>