In the recent years, numerous efforts have been performed in order to characterize the impacts of UVR on marine photobiology and photochemistry. The quantification of these UV-dependent processes through modelling approaches requires (i) an accurate description of UV underwater light field (ii) an adapted parameterization of the response of marine water compounds and/or organisms to spatio-temporal changes in solar radiations. The spatial and temporal variability of the absorption coefficient of the colored detrital material, which is a key element for studying undersea UV climate, has been characterized in the two basins selected for this study (the Mediterranean Sea and the Norwegian Seas) using the SeaWiFS products archive recently achieved for the period 1998-2006. Moreover, the various models currently available for the description of selected optical (CDOM photobleaching), photochemical (CO and DIC production) and photobiological (primary production inhibition) effects of UVR on marine waters have been described. Further, the general characteristics of these UV-dependent processes have been presented focusing, in particularly, on their variability along the daily, vertical and spectral dimensions. Several sensitivity analyses have been performed in order to define the relative importance of the various inputs of the spectral and depth resolved model on the final estimations. Finally, some of the straightforward models recently proposed in order to estimate some of the UV impacts at large temporal and or spatial scales have been tested and their limits of application have been discussed.

VANTREPOTTE Vincent;  MELIN Frederic; 

2007-03-20

JRC36871

EUR 22720 EN,   

https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC36871,