Dynamics and Distribution of Chlorophyll-a off the Changjiang Estuary in Late Summer

An interdisciplinary survey was conducted off the Changjiang (Yangtze River) Estuary from August 27 to September 2, 2009. Salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), and chlorophyll a were measured with a CTD (SBE 19 plus) multi-sensor system. The distribution of chlorophyll-a off the Changjiang Estuary was resulted from the combination of physical, chemical, geomorphological, and biological forces, including marine currents, river plume, nutrients, sediment transport, front and stratification, topography etc. The chlorophyll-a concentration and water Properties dynamically varied in four recognizable zones. The high chlorophyll-a zone west of 123.0°E located in the surface water above the halocline, the relatively high chlorophyll-a zone east to 123.0°E located in the subsurface water above the thermocline.