Primary Production of Continental Shelf Waters off New York1

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Abstract
The chlorophyll‐radiation method of measuring primary production, described earlier by the authors, was employed on six oceanographic cruises during 1956–7, each occupying 25 stations across the continental shelf off New York. The relationship photosynthesis/ hour (opt. light):chlorophyll a, using the oxygen production method, was found to agree with that determined earlier from culture and harbor water experiments, despite wide variations of temperature, nutrients, and the abundance of phytoplankton. The same ratio, with photosynthesis measured by C14 uptake, was extremely variable and usually lower than that obtained by oxygen‐production photosynthesis values.Estimates of daily production beneath a square meter of sea surface by the chlorophyll‐radiation method and in situ C14 values agreed within reasonable limits in 75% of the measurements; for the remainder of the times the C14 values were consistently lower.Daily production throughout the year ranged roughly from 0.20 to 1.00 g carbon/m2/day within the whole area studied. Estimated annual production decreased in a seaward direction from 160 g carbon/m2/year in the shallow coastal waters to 100 g carbon/m2/year on the continental slope. These values are intermediate between Riley’s estimates for Long Island Sound and the Sargasso Sea.

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