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Abstract The size distribution of suspended particles influences several processes in aquatic ecosystems, including light propagation, trophic interactions, and biogeochemical cycling. The shape of the particle size distribution (PSD) is commonly modeled as a single‐slope power law in oceanographic studies, which can be used to further estimate the relative contributions of different particle size classes to particle number, area, and volume concentration. We use a data set of 168 high size‐resolution PSD measurements in Arctic oceanic waters to examine variability in the shape of the PSD over the particle diameter range 0.8 to 120 μm. An average value of −3.6 ± 0.33 was obtained for the slope of a power law fitted over this size range, consistent with other studies. Our analysis indicates, however, that this model has significant limitations in adequately parameterizing the complexity of the PSD, and thus performs poorly in predicting the relative contributions of different size intervals such as those based on picoplankton, nanoplankton, and microplankton size classes. Similarly, median particle size was also generally a poor indicator of these size class contributions. Our results suggest that alternative percentile diameters derived from the cumulative distribution functions of particle number, cross‐sectional area, and volume concentration may provide better metrics to capture the overall shape of the PSD and to quantify the contributions of different particle size classes. 

Abstract An extensive data set of measurements within the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas is used to characterize the optical properties of seawater associated with different phytoplankton communities. Hierarchical cluster analysis of diagnostic pigment concentrations partitioned stations into four distinct surface phytoplankton communities based on taxonomic composition and average cell size. Concurrent optical measurements of spectral absorption and backscattering coefficients and remote‐sensing reflectance were used to characterize the magnitudes and spectral shapes of seawater optical properties associated with each phytoplankton assemblage. The results demonstrate measurable differences among communities in the average spectral shapes of the phytoplankton absorption coefficient. Similar or smaller differences were also observed in the spectral shapes of nonphytoplankton absorption coefficients and the particulate backscattering coefficient. Phytoplankton on average, however, contributed only 25% or less to the total absorption coefficient of seawater. Our analyses indicate that the interplay between the magnitudes and relative contributions of all optically significant constituents generally dampens any influence of varying phytoplankton absorption spectral shapes on the total absorption coefficient, yet there is still a marked discrimination observed in the spectral shape of the ratio of the total backscattering to total absorption coefficient and remote‐sensing reflectance among the phytoplankton assemblages. These spectral variations arise mainly from differences in the bio‐optical environment in which specific communities were found, as opposed to differences in the spectral shapes of phytoplankton optical properties per se. These results suggest potential approaches for the development of algorithms to assess phytoplankton community composition from measurements of seawater optical properties in western Arctic waters.