This study describes physical processes (mainly the turbulence and re-suspension of particles due to turbulence) which control the micro scale variability of the bio-optical properties in highly turbid coastal waters. Time series analyses of different bio-optical and physical properties (temperature, salinity) have been performed from a boat in coastal waters. The data base gathers high frequency (1 Hz) simultaneous measurements performed during about 12 hours at four different days and locations in the highly turbid coastal environments of North Sea. We mainly focus on the concentrations of Chlorophyll and coloured detrital matter, back-scattering, and attenuation. For each parameter we consider the statistics (mean values, coefficients of variance and probability density functions) and the dynamics (Fourier power spectra). We found that these optical parameters (bbp, bpslope g, Refractive index-n and cp) are influenced by turbulence and inherit some of turbulence characteristics; high frequency noise, scales of variability at lower frequencies.

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