Comparisons of surface Chl a and primary productivity along three transects of the southern South China Sea, northern Java Sea and eastern Indian Ocean in April 2011*

Abstract

Results are presented about the changes in chlorophyll a density, carbon fixation and nutrient levels in the surfacewaters of three transects of the southern South China Sea （SCS）, northern Java Sea （JS） and eastern Indian Ocean （IO） duringApril 5-16 of 2011. The in situ Chl a concentration and carbon fixation showed decreasing trends from high to low latitudealong the three transects, while the photosynthetic rate of phytoplankton estimated from 14C incorporation displayed no simplevariation with latitude. Chl a concentration and carbon fixation in the IO water was lower than that in the JS water. Highersalinity and lower contents of dissolved inorganic nitrogen （DIN） and silicate （SiO3^2-） characterized the IO water as comparedto the SCS or JS water, and the PO4^3- content was lower in the IO water than in the SCS or JS water in most cases. Our resultsalso indicate the importance of DIN and SiO3^2- concentrations for the geographical changes in phytoplankton biomass andprimary productivity among the three regions.