Variability in the chlorophyll (chl) a-specific absorption coefficients of living phytoplankton aph*(λ) was analyzed using a data set including 815 spectra determined with the wet filter technique in different regions of the world ocean (covering the chlorophyll concentration range 0.02--25 mg m-3). The aph* values were observed to decrease rather regularly from oligotrophic to eutrophic waters, spanning over more than 1 order of magnitude (0.18 to 0.01 m2 mg-1) at the blue absorption maximum. The observed covariation between aph*(λ) and the field chl a concentration ⟨chl⟩ can be explained considering (1) the level of pigment packaging and (2) the contribution of accessory pigments to absorption. Empirical relationships between aph*(λ) and ⟨chl⟩ were derived by least squares fitting to power functions. These relationships can be used to produce aph* spectra as a function of ⟨chl⟩. Such a simple parameterization, if confirmed with further data, can be used, e.g., such as those obtained by combining satellite pigment concentration maps with primary production models based on physiological parameters, among which aph* is an important one. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1995