Chlorophyll-a

Chlorophyll a is the a green photosynthetic pigment found in most nearly all plants, algae, phytoplankton, and cyanobacteria. Chlorophyll a is measured and reported as the number of micrograms per one liter (µg Chl a/L) of water. It is a light harvesting pigment that turns photons into energy which is used to fix carbon into sugars. Water column chlorophyll a concentration is correlated to phytoplankton biomass. There are other chlorophylls and accessory pigments that also contribute to sugar production that absorb additional wavelengths of light, thus maximizing the use of light from our sun.

Publisher - Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF)

Subjects - Chemical, Chlorophyll-a

http://recon.sccf.org/definitions/chlorophyll.shtml

Collection: Section 2: Water Quality (2014)

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Citation: SCCF. 2014. Chlorophyll-a. Sanibel, FL: Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation. http://recon.sccf.org/definitions/chlorophyll.shtml