Coccolithophore Blooms in the North-Eastern Black Sea

Results of our previous satellite and field studies of coccolithophore blooms in the Black Sea are available from Kopelevich et al. (2013, 2014) and at site http://optics.ocean.ru. In the current presentation some new results are described. The data on the spatial distributions, seasonal and inter-annual variability of concentration of coccolithophore cells (Ncoc) are prolonged for 2013-2014 and included not only June, but also May. Correlation between Ncoc and PIC (Particulate Inorganic Carbon) is studied. The existence of the close connection between changes in the sea surface temperature (SST) in February and the intensity of coccolithophore blooms in June has been confirmed: more intensive blooms were observed after cold winter, less intensive (or do not exist) after warm winter. The cycles of the bloom in different years and their phenological characteristics are presented. Special attention is given to 2012, when the most intensive bloom of unusual duration was observed. Possibility of discrimination between diatom and coccolithophore dominant species in phytoplankton bloom in the North-Eastern Black Sea from satellite ocean colour data is considered.