Whole Curonian Lagoon in the southeast Baltic Sea during the period 1983-1992 (data set limits: 54 54 - 55 44N; 20 37 - 21 16E); Northern Curonian Lagoon since 1993 (data set limits: 55 16 - 55 44N; 21 01 - 21 17E

Chlorophyll pigment concentrations in water bodies

Discrete water samplers; centrifuges; spectrophotometers

The amount of chlorophyll a is an important characteristic of the phytoplankton photosynthesis activity, which helps to determine the amounts of phytoplankton biomass and the trophic level of a water body. The aim of research is to determine water trophic (biological productivity) level of the Curonian Lagoon and it's seasonal and long-term variability. From 1983 to 1992 research was carried out in a wide net of stations in the whole Curonian Lagoon, since 1993 - in the north part of the Lagoon which belongs to Lithuania by the expedition cutter 'Gintaras'. During the first research years (1983-1984) chlorophyll a sampling was carried out respectively one (spring) and two times (spring, autumn) a year, since 1985 the research became more regular and the samples were taken three times (spring, summer, autumn) a year from the surface water layer, since 1997 - every month. The analyses of chlorophyll a are performed according to the method recommended by HELCOM. The data are fully quality controlled. Systematic certification of laboratories, participation in international intercalibrations, internal control, introduced managing system for research' quality determine quality of data. All data is stored in archive (written form) and the data from 1993 also is saved on hard disk.

R. Kavolyte (1998) The seasonal change of the chlorophyll "a" concentration and evaluation of its trophic level in the Kurshiu Marios Lagoon / The environmental status of the Baltic Sea and Kurshiu Marios Lagoon (Articles in Lithuanian with English summaries), Virginija Cizauskiene

Department of Marine Research of the Environmental Protection Agency
Taikos Av. 26
Klaipeda

LT-91149
Lithuania