Temporal evolution of primary production in the central Barents Sea

Within the frame of the Study of the European Arctic Shelf (SEAS) programme, the central Barents Sea region was surveyed two times, in late June and late July, during the cruise ARK VIII-2, in order to describe the physical, chemical and biological evolution of the system and to provide estimates of primary production. Primary production daily rates are provided for a North–South section crossing the Polar Front, using a geochemical approach. Rates of primary production derived from the uptake of nitrate are regarded as new production, whereas rates based on production of oxygen are considered as net community production (NCP). They are compared, and estimates from oxygen are considered expression of the minimal rates of photosynthesis.