Remote sensing of phytoplankton by laser fluorosensor: effect of self attenuation

The intensity of the fluorescence observed from the optical stimulation of the photosynthetic pigments of freely suspended algal cells within a collimated laser beam was modeled using a Beer-Lambert approach in which the optical attenuation parameters were assumed to be directly dependent on cell density. Modeled results, when compared with results obtained experimentally with a laser fluorosensor from a suspension of Chlorella vulgaris, indicated that the magnitude of fluorescent signal observed in laser remote sensing was strongly affected by self attenuation. The implications were examined with respect to the water Raman normalization used to describe in situ phytoplankton distributions.