Spectra of light absorption by phytoplankton pigments in the Baltic; conclusions to be drawn from a Gaussian analysis of empirical data

Analysed by differential spectroscopy, 1208 empirical spectra of light absorption apl(λ) by Baltic phytoplankton were spectrally decomposed into 26 elementary Gaussian component bands. At the same time the composition and concentrations of each of the 5 main groups of pigments (chlorophylls a, chlorophylls b, chlorophylls c, photosynthetic carotenoids and photoprotecting carotenoids) were analysed in 782 samples by HPLC. Inspection of the correlations between the intensities of the 26 elementary absorption bands and the concentrations of the pigment groups resulted in given elementary bands being attributed to particular pigment groups and the spectra of the mass-specific absorption coefficients established for these pigment groups. Moreover, balancing the absorption effects due to these 5 pigment groups against the overall absorption spectra of phytoplankton suggested the presence of a sixth group of pigments, as yet unidentified (UP), undetected by HPLC. Apr eliminary mathematical description of the spectral absorption properties of these UP was established. Like some forms of phycobilins, these pigments are strong absorbers in the 450–650 nm spectral region. The packaging effect of pigments in Baltic phytoplankton was analysed statistically, then correlated with the concentration of chlorophyll a in Baltic water. As a result, a Baltic version of the algorithm of light absorption by phytoplankton could be developed. This algorithm can be applied to estimate overall phytoplankton absorption spectra and their components due to the various groups of pigments from a knowledge of their concentrations in Baltic water.