Multiple studies have been performed in La Parguera Bioluminescence Bay, but none of them have measured the in situ bio-optical properties until now. As part of Deborah Cedeño Ph.D. dissertation project (a graduate student of the UPRM-Department of Marine Sciences), we used the GERS Lab Bio-Optical Package to measure these properties in the field during May 16 and 18 of 2007. The standard deployment of the package is by profiling mode, but it was changed because the phytoplankton species studied by Debbie are only concentrated closed to the surface. The package was attached to a peristaltic pump that allowed to bring surface water to the CTD, fluorometer, and AC-9, in a continuous flow mode. At the same time, Debbie was collecting her standard samples for laboratory analyses in order to develop comparisons with the package measurements.
