Particulate organic carbon in the surface waters of the North Atlantic: spatial and temporal variability based on satellite ocean colour

We have examined the 16-year time series of particulate organic carbon (POC) concentration in the surface waters of the North Atlantic derived from SeaWiFS and MODIS-Aqua data. The annual mean POC concentrations are the highest in the northern North Atlantic, reaching 120 mg m(-3). Moving south, the mean annual POC concentrations decrease to minimum values of about 30 mg m(-3) at around 30 degrees N and increase in the equatorial region to about 70 mg m(-3). The seasonal amplitude of POC concentration in the northern North Atlantic region is larger when compared to other regions. The annual mean surface POC concentrations in the entire North Atlantic basin show a statistically significant trend with an average decrease of 0.79 mg m(-3) year(-1). Regionally averaged 16-year mean POC biomass integrated over the optical depth, euphotic depth, and mixed-layer depth is estimated at about 1.27, 4.34, and 4.59 g m(-2), respectively. Even larger biomass of 6.26 g m(-2) is estimated if one chooses to use in the calculations the greatest from the daily values of the estimates listed above at each pixel of the satellite data. Comparisons of POC biomass with primary productivity allowed us to assess temporal and spatial patterns of POC losses.