Colour and Light in the Ocean, volume II

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Background

We invite contributions to Volume 2 of the series of special issues on the research topic “Colour and Light in the ocean from Earth Observations (CLEO)”.

Marine ecosystems are open and dissipative systems that rely on an external energy source – light – for their sustenance. The magnitude of the light flux and the spectral quality of the light field (which determines colour) determine the rate of marine photosynthesis by phytoplankton in the ocean, and the types of phytoplankton communities that flourish in different parts of the ocean and in different seasons. Ocean colour – determined by the spectral quality of light scattered out of the sea and back into the atmosphere – can be monitored using satellite sensors, and used to map the distribution of the major phytoplankton pigment, chlorophyll-a, at global scales. Remote sensing of ocean colour, first realised in 1977, has revolutionised the field of biological oceanography. Over the years, the quality of satellite products has continued to improve, and the range of products available has extended beyond chlorophyll concentration to encompass many variables of interest to biological oceanography and ocean biogeochemistry. However, it is well recognized that satellite observations have to be integrated with, and complemented by, field measurements and modelling, to obtain the full picture. The research topic proposed will cover a range of recent developments in ocean colour remote sensing and allied fields.

This series covers the following broad topics:
• Ocean colour and phytoplankton as Essential Climate Variables and the use of ocean colour in climate research;
• Algorithms to estimate the light flux reaching the sea surface and at depth in the ocean, and their applications;
• Carbon fluxes in the ocean and across ocean boundaries, including marine primary production and its fate, and air-sea fluxes of carbon dioxide;
• Estimation of organic and inorganic pools of carbon in the ocean using satellite data and in situ observations;
• Methods to deduce information on phytoplankton community structure using ocean colour and other satellite data; and
• Specialised algorithms for the study of the optical properties and optically-active constituents in optically-complex coastal and inland water bodies.

Crosscutting themes and related topics such as uncertainty estimates, freshwater carbon, blue carbon, extreme events, tipping points and impacts on carbon, and ocean carbon budget are within the scope of this research topic.
We envisage papers in this research topic from algorithm providers as well as users of the satellite products, especially the marine ecosystem modelling community, who use the satellite data to validate models and to improve model performance. All contributing authors will be asked to evaluate the current state of the field and to identify the next steps to be taken, to move the field forward.

In this volume, priority is assigned to the papers arising from the recently-held workshop on “ocean carbon from space” (https://oceancarbonfromspace2022.esa.int/), and related sessions at the Living Planet Symposium 2022. Additional papers that are within the theme of the research topic are also welcome.

This research topic is sponsored by the European Space Agency.

Keywords: #CollectionSeries, ocean colour, Essential Climate Variables, primary production, export production, ocean carbon pools, air-sea exchange of carbon, land-sea carbon flux, phytoplankton types, ocean pH, ocean alkalinity, ocean acidification

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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