provide a mean chlorophyll a concentration of 0.26 μg L−1 vs. 0.40 μg L−1 for the sum of chlorophyll a and pheopigments (see Section 2.1.) at the Noumea coastal station. Since the average contribution of pheopigments in the total is unknown, the comparison between the two values is impossible. This example stresses the need for using standard methodologies in temporal variability studies.