FLOE Lidar: Arctic Phytoplankton Layers from Aircraft

From July 17 to 29, 2014, the Fish Lidar, Oceanic, Experimental (FLOE) system collected the first synoptic measurements of subsurface phytoplankton layers in the Arctic Ocean's Marginal Ice Zone. Data was gathered via a series of aircraft flights from Barrow, Alaska, over the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas. The lidar simultaneously measured layer characteristics and fractional ice cover, capturing phenomena not visible to satellites that influence marine productivity and carbon export.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the relationship between phytoplankton layer formation and sea ice retreat based on simultaneous lidar measurements.
• Modeling primary productivity and carbon export in the Arctic Ocean using subsurface layer data not captured by satellites.
• Studying stratification and thin plankton layer dynamics in the Marginal Ice Zone of the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas.
• Validating satellite ocean color data and models with in-situ, synoptic measurements of subsurface biological features.

Strengths

• Provides the first synoptic measurements of subsurface phytoplankton layers in the Arctic Ocean's Marginal Ice Zone.
• Simultaneously captures layer characteristics and fractional ice cover, enabling correlated analysis.
• Data collection occurred during a defined campaign from July 17-29, 2014, with flights over two major Arctic seas.

Limitations

• Metadata completeness is low: specific column names, row counts, file sizes, and license information are not provided by any source.
• There is a conflict in the 'last updated' metadata between platforms (2014 vs. 2026), casting doubt on maintenance activity.
• The dataset's temporal coverage is limited to a single two-week campaign in July 2014.

Provenance

Source

NOAA Twin Otter aircraft equipped with FLOE (Fish Lidar, Oceanic, Experimental) LIDAR.

Collection Method

Airborne lidar measurements collected during flights from Barrow, Alaska.

Time Range

2014-07-17 to 2014-07-29

Freshness

Last updated metadata conflicts between 2014-07-29 and 2026-03-05.

Geography

Chukchi Sea and Beaufort Sea, Arctic Ocean, from Barrow, Alaska.