Co-Chairs:
Dr. Elisabetta Canuti
EC-JRC, Italy
Dr. Crystal Thomas
Ocean Ecology Laboratory,
NASA, USA
Established: May 2024
- Presentation at IOCCG-30 (May 2026)
- Presentation at IOCCG-29 (April 2025)
- Working group proposal (2024)
Rationale
Chlorophyll a is a fundamental marker of phytoplankton biomass and primary productivity in marine ecosystems. Accessory pigments provide additional insights into phytoplankton community structure and health, thus offering a more comprehensive understanding of oceanic biogeochemistry. With the advancement of ocean colour satellite capabilities (i.e., PACE, etc.) other major phytoplankton pigments (in addition to chlorophyll a) can be detected from space.
A protocol on the determination of Chlorophyll a and accessories pigments by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) would offer a more comprehensive validation of satellite-derived phytoplankton pigment data by incorporating accessory pigments; improved understanding by providing valuable insights into phytoplankton community composition; and assist with standardization as protocols ensure consistency and comparability of validation efforts across different research programs and regions.
Protocol Outline
- Sample Collection:
- Standardized sampling protocols employed to ensure consistency across different
regions and from various oceanic basins, spanning different seasons and
environmental conditions to capture the diversity of phytoplankton communities.
- Standardized sampling protocols employed to ensure consistency across different
- Sample Processing:
- Upon collection, following the samples’ preservation chain.
- Extraction of pigments: carried out using appropriate solvents to ensure efficient
recovery and stability.
- HPLC Analysis:
- HPLC utilized for the separation and quantification of chlorophyll a and accessory pigments.
- Calibration
- Quality assurance
- Data Interpretation/Uncertainties budget determination:
- Comparison and validation exercises to assess the performance of single laboratory.
Members
- Elisabetta Canuti, EC-JRC, Italy
- Mikel Latasa, CSIC, Spain
- C. Rafael Mendes, FURG, Brazil
- Ilka Pekeen, AWI, Germany
- Josephine Ras, LOV-IMEV, France
- Louise Schlüter, DHI Laboratory Products, Denmark
- Koji Suzuki, Hokkaido University, Japan
- Crystal Thomas, NASA, USA
The 6th International Ocean Colour Science (IOCS) meeting was held in Darmstadt, Germany from 1 – 4 December 2025, hosted by EUMETSAT and ESA. All meeting material is available is on the archive webpage.