Surface time series of TChl a at the PhytoCly site, Bay of Calvi, Corsica, Mediterranean Sea (2012-2018). Sampling was conducted at the PhytoCly reference site, where sampling was performed either at the PhytoCly station, either closer to or from the shore. Distance between the PhytoCly station and the shore is about 300 m. Previous studies have shown strong similarity between surface total chlorophyll a (TChl a, i.e. Chl a + DVChl a) and nitrate sampled simultaneously at the PhytoCly station and close to the coast, i.e. for NO3-, r2 = 0.98 (n = 95), and for TChl a, r2 = 0.99 (n = 79) (Goffart et al., 2015). Sampling was performed weekly at the PhytoCly station and 1 to 2 times a week closer or from the coast. Samples collected at the PhytoCly station and close to or from the coast were grouped and referred hereafter to as samples collected at the PhytoCly reference site.Filters for chlorophylls and pigment analysis were extracted in methanol using sonication (Vidussi et al., 2000), within 3 months of sampling. Pigments were separated using a Waters Alliance HPLC system according to the method of Zapata et al. (2000).