In spring of 2016, 2018 and 2019, chlorophyll a (Chl a) content was studied in the 0-50 m layer on the vast Barents Sea area - to the north of 75∘ N. Standard sampling was carried out at 11 oceanographic transects, including 52 stations. Due to the negative ice anomalies and the high-latitude position of the ice edge, original data on Chl a concentration for spring period were obtained in hard-to-reach and previously unexplored areas of the Barents Sea. The investigation area covered the Marginal Ice Arctic zone, as well as the area where the Polar Front was located quasi-stationary. The effect of the Marginal Ice Arctic and Polar frontal zones on the distribution of Chl a concentration was revealed. The strongest factor influencing the distribution of chlorophyll was the Polar Front. It divided mainly Arctic and Atlantic waters. The highest pigment concentrations corresponded to the Arctic water mass and exceeded the content of pigment in water of Atlantic origin by an order of magnitude. The impact of the Marginal Ice Arctic Front was not so obvious - the content of Chl a in waters of various genesis differed, but not more than by a factor of 2.

Field studies of chlorophyll-a concentrations in high latitudes of Arctic waters (above 75° N) are limited due to the difficult ice conditions, while satellite studies are limited due to high clouds in the region. Full-scale data of chlorophyll concentration in the pelagial of the Barents Sea for 2013-2019 were included in the database at ArcGIS 10 platform. Comparison and correlation analysis of full-scale and satellite data (open NASA databases) at the same points for the same dates were carried out. A general underestimation of the satellite concentrations of chlorophyll-a was revealed for most stations. Time coverage of +/- 3 days produced a significant error in the verification results. Within the 1-2-day difference, the percentage of deviations decreased, but the tendency to underestimate satellite concentrations in relation to in-situ values persisted.

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