Through the bio-optical measurement over the equatorial warm water pool, we could discuss the vertical structure of the chlorophyll maximum. The chlorophyll-a from the surface to the top of the chlorophyll maximum layer was expressed as the inverse function of photosynthetically available radiance (EdPAR). The chlorophyll-a from the bottom of chlorophyll maximum layer to 150 m was expressed as logarithm function of EdPAR. As we could observe the different current streams within the surface mixed layer by the ship-mounted ADCP, we could make a new hypothesis on the generation of chlorophyll maximum layer in the warm water pool. As the top portion of the chlorophyll maximum layer is in the east-north-east current and the nitrate in this layer is depleted, it is supposed the chlorophyll maximum to be maintained by the reproduction. As the deeper portion of the chlorophyll maximum layer was on the top of the north-west current and it was just above the nitracline, it is supposed the chlorophyll maximum to be maintained by the new production.
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