FLOE Lidar: Arctic Subsurface Phytoplankton Layers from Aircraft

Synoptic measurements from the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas in July 2014 captured the first airborne lidar observations of subsurface phytoplankton layers in the Arctic Ocean's Marginal Ice Zone. The Fish Lidar, Oceanic, Experimental (FLOE) system, mounted on a NOAA Twin Otter aircraft, simultaneously measured layer characteristics and fractional ice cover. These thin, stratified layers, not captured by satellite data, influence primary productivity, fisheries recruitment, and carbon export.

Use Cases

• Studying the impact of retreating sea ice on phytoplankton layer formation based on synoptic lidar transects.
• Quantifying carbon export potential to the benthos using measurements of subsurface layer characteristics.
• Validating satellite ocean color data by comparing it with in-situ lidar profiles of the water column.
• Modeling fisheries recruitment in the Arctic by analyzing the distribution of thin plankton layers.
• Assessing stratification-driven primary productivity in the Marginal Ice Zone from simultaneous ice cover and layer data.

Strengths

• Provides the first synoptic airborne lidar measurements of subsurface phytoplankton layers in the Arctic Ocean.
• Simultaneously captures layer characteristics and fractional ice cover, enabling analysis of ice-retreat effects.
• Data collection occurred over a defined two-week period from July 17 to July 29, 2014.

Limitations

• Metadata completeness is low: column names, row counts, file sizes, and specific license details are unavailable across all sources.
• The temporal coverage is limited to a single two-week campaign in July 2014, providing only a seasonal snapshot.
• Platforms show conflicting 'last updated' dates (2014-07-29 vs. 2026-03-05), creating uncertainty about metadata maintenance.

Provenance

Source

NOAA_NCEI

Collection Method

Airborne lidar measurements collected from a NOAA Twin Otter aircraft on flights from Barrow, Alaska.

Time Range

2014-07-17 to 2014-07-29

Freshness

2026-03-05 22:35:35.215482

Geography

Arctic Ocean, specifically the Chukchi Sea and Beaufort Sea.