scholarly journals 210Po and 210Pb distributions during a phytoplankton bloom in the North Atlantic: Implications for POC export

2020 ◽  
Vol 164 ◽  
pp. 103339
Author(s):  
Evan J. Horowitz ◽  
J. Kirk Cochran ◽  
Michael P. Bacon ◽  
David J. Hirschberg
Keyword(s):  
North Atlantic ◽  
Phytoplankton Bloom ◽  
The North ◽  
Poc Export ◽  
The North Atlantic

scholarly journals Particulate barium tracing of significant mesopelagic carbon remineralisation in the North Atlantic

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (8) ◽  
pp. 2289-2307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nolwenn Lemaitre ◽  
Hélène Planquette ◽  
Frédéric Planchon ◽  
Géraldine Sarthou ◽  
Stéphanie Jacquet ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Sequestration ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Deep Convection ◽  
Sediment Traps ◽  
Heterotrophic Activity ◽  
Physical Forcing ◽  
The North ◽  
Poc Export ◽  
Order Of Magnitude ◽  
The North Atlantic

Abstract. The remineralisation of sinking particles by prokaryotic heterotrophic activity is important for controlling oceanic carbon sequestration. Here, we report mesopelagic particulate organic carbon (POC) remineralisation fluxes in the North Atlantic along the GEOTRACES-GA01 section (GEOVIDE cruise; May–June 2014) using the particulate biogenic barium (excess barium; Baxs) proxy. Important mesopelagic (100–1000 m) Baxs differences were observed along the transect depending on the intensity of past blooms, the phytoplankton community structure, and the physical forcing, including downwelling. The subpolar province was characterized by the highest mesopelagic Baxs content (up to 727 pmol L−1), which was attributed to an intense bloom averaging 6 mg chl a m−3 between January and June 2014 and by an intense 1500 m deep convection in the central Labrador Sea during the winter preceding the sampling. This downwelling could have promoted a deepening of the prokaryotic heterotrophic activity, increasing the Baxs content. In comparison, the temperate province, characterized by the lowest Baxs content (391 pmol L−1), was sampled during the bloom period and phytoplankton appear to be dominated by small and calcifying species, such as coccolithophorids. The Baxs content, related to oxygen consumption, was converted into a remineralisation flux using an updated relationship, proposed for the first time in the North Atlantic. The estimated fluxes were of the same order of magnitude as other fluxes obtained using independent methods (moored sediment traps, incubations) in the North Atlantic. Interestingly, in the subpolar and subtropical provinces, mesopelagic POC remineralisation fluxes (up to 13 and 4.6 mmol C m−2 d−1, respectively) were equalling and occasionally even exceeding upper-ocean POC export fluxes, deduced using the 234Th method. These results highlight the important impact of the mesopelagic remineralisation on the biological carbon pump of the studied area with a near-zero, deep (> 1000 m) carbon sequestration efficiency in spring 2014.

scholarly journals The export flux of particulate organic carbon derived from <sup>210</sup>Po∕<sup>210</sup>Pb disequilibria along the North Atlantic GEOTRACES GA01 transect: GEOVIDE cruise

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 309-327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Tang ◽  
Nolwenn Lemaitre ◽  
Maxi Castrillejo ◽  
Montserrat Roca-Martí ◽  
Pere Masqué ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Particulate Organic Carbon ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Study Region ◽  
Vertical Advection ◽  
Export Flux ◽  
The North ◽  
Iberian Basin ◽  
Poc Export ◽  
The North Atlantic

Abstract. The disequilibrium between 210Po activity and 210Pb activity in seawater samples was determined along the GEOTRACES GA01 transect in the North Atlantic during the GEOVIDE cruise (May–June 2014). A steady-state model was used to quantify vertical export of particulate 210Po. Vertical advection was incorporated into one version of the model using time-averaged vertical velocity, which had substantial variance. This resulted in large uncertainties for the 210Po export flux in this model, suggesting that those calculations of 210Po export fluxes should be used with great care. Despite the large uncertainties, there is no question that the deficits of 210Po in the Iberian Basin and at the Greenland Shelf have been strongly affected by vertical advection. Using the export flux of 210Po and the particulate organic carbon (POC) to 210Po ratio of total (> 1 µm) particles, we determined the POC export fluxes along the transect. Both the magnitude and efficiency of the estimated POC export flux from the surface ocean varied spatially within our study region. Export fluxes of POC ranged from negligible to 10 mmol C m−2 d−1, with enhanced POC export in the Labrador Sea. The cruise track was characterized by overall low POC export relative to net primary production (export efficiency < 1 %–15 %), but relatively high export efficiencies were seen in the basins where diatoms dominated the phytoplankton community. The particularly low export efficiencies in the Iberian Basin, on the other hand, were explained by the dominance of smaller phytoplankton, such as cyanobacteria or coccolithophores. POC fluxes estimated from the 210Po∕210Pb and 234Th∕238U disequilibria agreed within a factor of 3 along the transect, with higher POC estimates generally derived from 234Th. The differences were attributed to integration timescales and the history of bloom events.

scholarly journals Grazing behavior and winter phytoplankton accumulation

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (20) ◽  
pp. 5595-5607
Author(s):  
Mara Freilich ◽  
Alexandre Mignot ◽  
Glenn Flierl ◽  
Raffaele Ferrari
Keyword(s):  
North Atlantic ◽  
Phytoplankton Biomass ◽  
Phytoplankton Bloom ◽  
Biomass Accumulation ◽  
Grazing Pressure ◽  
Mathematical Framework ◽  
Grazing Behavior ◽  
Phytoplankton Concentration ◽  
The North ◽  
The North Atlantic

Abstract. Recent observations have shown that phytoplankton biomass increases in the North Atlantic during winter, even when the mixed layer is deepening and light is limited. Current theories suggest that this is due to a release from grazing pressure. Here we demonstrate that the often-used grazing models that are linear at low phytoplankton concentration do not allow for a wintertime increase in phytoplankton biomass. However, mathematical formulations of grazing as a function of phytoplankton concentration that are quadratic at low concentrations (or more generally decrease faster than linearly as phytoplankton concentration decreases) can reproduce the fall to spring transition in phytoplankton, including wintertime biomass accumulation. We illustrate this point with a minimal model for the annual cycle of North Atlantic phytoplankton designed to simulate phytoplankton concentration as observed by BioGeoChemical-Argo (BGC-Argo) floats in the North Atlantic. This analysis provides a mathematical framework for assessing hypotheses of phytoplankton bloom formation.

scholarly journals An investigation of grazing behaviors that result in winter phytoplankton biomass accumulation

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mara Freilich ◽  
Alexandre Mignot ◽  
Glenn Flierl ◽  
Raffaele Ferrari
Keyword(s):  
North Atlantic ◽  
Phytoplankton Biomass ◽  
Phytoplankton Bloom ◽  
Biomass Accumulation ◽  
Grazing Pressure ◽  
Mathematical Framework ◽  
Phytoplankton Concentration ◽  
The North ◽  
Bloom Formation ◽  
The North Atlantic

Abstract. Recent observations have shown that phytoplankton biomass increases in the North Atlantic during winter, even when the mixed layer is deepening and light is limited. Current theories suggest that this is due to a release from grazing pressure. Here we demonstrate that the often-used grazing models that are linear at low phytoplankton concentration do not allow for a wintertime increase in phytoplankton biomass. However, certain mathematical formulations of grazing that are quadratic (or more generally non-linear) in phytoplankton concentration at low concentrations can reproduce the fall to spring transition in phytoplankton, including wintertime biomass accumulation. We illustrate this point with a minimal model for the annual cycle of North Atlantic phytoplankton designed to simulate phytoplankton concentration as observed by BioGeoChemical-Argo (BGC-Argo) floats in the North Atlantic. This analysis provides a mathematical framework for assessing hypotheses of phytoplankton bloom formation.

scholarly journals Basin-wide mechanisms for spring bloom initiation: how typical is the North Atlantic?

2015 ◽  
Vol 72 (6) ◽  
pp. 2029-2040 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harriet S. Cole ◽  
Stephanie Henson ◽  
Adrian P. Martin ◽  
Andrew Yool
Keyword(s):  
Interannual Variability ◽  
Mixed Layer ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Spring Bloom ◽  
Phytoplankton Bloom ◽  
Ecosystem Dynamics ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Theoretical Understanding ◽  
The North ◽  
The North Atlantic

Abstract The annual phytoplankton bloom is a key event in pelagic ecosystems. Variability in the timing, or phenology, of these blooms affects ecosystem dynamics with implications for carbon export efficiency and food availability for higher trophic levels. Furthermore, interannual variability in phytoplankton bloom timing may be used to monitor changes in the pelagic ecosystem that are either naturally or anthropogenically forced. The onset of the spring bloom has traditionally been thought to be controlled by the restratification of the water column and shoaling of the mixed layer, as encapsulated in Sverdrup's critical depth hypothesis. However, this has been challenged by recent studies which have put forward different mechanisms. For example, the critical turbulence hypothesis attributes bloom initiation to a reduction in turbulent mixing associated with the onset of positive net heat fluxes (NHFs). To date, the majority of studies on bloom initiation mechanisms have concentrated on North Atlantic datasets leaving their validity in other subpolar regions unknown. Here, we use chlorophyll output from a model that assimilates satellite ocean colour data to calculate bloom initiation timing and examine the basin-wide drivers of spatial and interannual variability. We find that the date that the NHF turns positive is a stronger predictor for the date of bloom initiation, both spatially and interannually, across the North Atlantic than changes in the mixed layer depth. However, results obtained from the North Pacific and Southern Ocean show no such basin-wide coherency. The lack of consistency in the response of the subpolar basins indicates that other drivers are likely responsible for variability in bloom initiation. This disparity between basins suggests that the North Atlantic bloom initiation processes are unique and therefore that this region may not be a suitable model for a global, theoretical understanding of the mechanisms leading to the onset of the spring bloom.

scholarly journals High variability of particulate organic carbon export along the North Atlantic GEOTRACES section GA01 as deduced from <sup>234</sup>Th fluxes

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (21) ◽  
pp. 6417-6437 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nolwenn Lemaitre ◽  
Frédéric Planchon ◽  
Hélène Planquette ◽  
Frank Dehairs ◽  
Debany Fonseca-Batista ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Particulate Organic Carbon ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Size Fraction ◽  
Material Surface ◽  
The North ◽  
Poc Export ◽  
The North Atlantic ◽  
Iberian Margin

Abstract. In this study we report particulate organic carbon (POC) export fluxes for different biogeochemical basins in the North Atlantic as part of the GEOTRACES GA01 expedition (GEOVIDE, May–June 2014). Surface POC export fluxes were deduced by combining export fluxes of total Thorium-234 (234Th) with the ratio of POC to 234Th of sinking particles at the depth of export. Particles were collected in two size classes (>53 and 1–53 µm) using in situ pumps and the large size fraction was considered representative of sinking material. Surface POC export fluxes revealed latitudinal variations between provinces, ranging from 1.4 mmol m−2 d−1 in the Irminger basin, where the bloom was close to its maximum, to 12 mmol m−2 d−1 near the Iberian Margin, where the bloom had already declined. In addition to the state of progress of the bloom, variations of the POC export fluxes were also related to the phytoplankton size and community structure. In line with previous studies, the presence of coccolithophorids and diatoms appeared to enhance the POC export flux, while the dominance of picophytoplankton cells, such as cyanobacteria, resulted in lower fluxes. The ratio of POC export to primary production (PP) strongly varied regionally and was generally low (≤14 %), except at two stations located near the Iberian Margin (35 %) and within the Labrador basin (38 %), which were characterized by unusual low in situ PP. We thus conclude that during the GEOVIDE cruise, the North Atlantic was not as efficient in exporting carbon from the surface, as reported earlier by others. Finally, we also estimated the POC export at 100 m below the surface export depth to investigate the POC transfer efficiencies. This parameter was also highly variable amongst regions, with the highest transfer efficiency at sites where coccolithophorids dominated.

scholarly journals Synoptic-scale analysis of mechanisms driving surface chlorophyll dynamics in the North Atlantic

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 3641-3653 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. S. A. Ferreira ◽  
H. Hátún ◽  
F. Counillon ◽  
M. R. Payne ◽  
A. W. Visser
Keyword(s):  
North Atlantic ◽  
Phytoplankton Bloom ◽  
Initial Increase ◽  
Synoptic Scale ◽  
Spring Phytoplankton Bloom ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Common Component ◽  
The North ◽  
The North Atlantic ◽  
Physical Phenomena

Abstract. Several hypotheses have been proposed for the onset of the spring phytoplankton bloom in the North Atlantic. Our main objective is to examine which bottom-up processes can best predict the annual increase in surface phytoplankton concentration in the North Atlantic by applying novel phenology algorithms to ocean colour data. We construct indicator fields and time series which, in various combinations, provide models consistent with the principle dynamics previously proposed. Using a multimodel inference approach, we investigate the evidence supporting these models and how it varies in space. We show that, in terms of bottom-up processes alone, there is a dominant physical mechanism, namely mixed-layer shoaling, that best predicts the interannual variation in the initial increase in surface chlorophyll across large sectors of the North Atlantic. We further show that different regions are governed by different physical phenomena and that wind-driven mixing is a common component, with either heat flux or light as triggers. We believe these findings to be relevant to the ongoing discussion on North Atlantic bloom onset.

scholarly journals Seasonality of the Microbial Community Composition in the North Atlantic

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis M. Bolaños ◽  
Chang Jae Choi ◽  
Alexandra Z. Worden ◽  
Nicholas Baetge ◽  
Craig A. Carlson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Column ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Phytoplankton Bloom ◽  
Microbial Community Composition ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
The North ◽  
Biogeographical Distribution ◽  
The North Atlantic ◽  
Plankton Communities ◽  
Planktonic Communities

Planktonic communities constitute the basis of life in marine environments and have profound impacts in geochemical cycles. In the North Atlantic, seasonality drives annual transitions in the ecology of the water column. Phytoplankton bloom annually in spring as a result of these transitions, creating one of the major biological pulses in productivity on earth. The timing and geographical distribution of the spring bloom as well as the resulting biomass accumulation have largely been studied using the global capacity of satellite imaging. However, fine-scale variability in the taxonomic composition, spatial distribution, seasonal shifts, and ecological interactions with heterotrophic bacterioplankton has remained largely uncharacterized. The North Atlantic Aerosols and Marine Ecosystems Study (NAAMES) conducted four meridional transects to characterize plankton ecosystems in the context of the annual bloom cycle. Using 16S rRNA gene-based community profiles we analyzed the temporal and spatial variation in plankton communities. Seasonality in phytoplankton and bacterioplankton composition was apparent throughout the water column, with changes dependent on the hydrographic origin. From winter to spring in the subtropic and subpolar subregions, phytoplankton shifted from the predominance of cyanobacteria and picoeukaryotic green algae to diverse photosynthetic eukaryotes. By autumn, the subtropics were dominated by cyanobacteria, while a diverse array of eukaryotes dominated the subpolar subregions. Bacterioplankton were also strongly influenced by geographical subregions. SAR11, the most abundant bacteria in the surface ocean, displayed higher richness in the subtropics than the subpolar subregions. SAR11 subclades were differentially distributed between the two subregions. Subclades Ia.1 and Ia.3 co-occurred in the subpolar subregion, while Ia.1 dominated the subtropics. In the subtropical subregion during the winter, the relative abundance of SAR11 subclades “II” and 1c.1 were elevated in the upper mesopelagic. In the winter, SAR202 subclades generally prevalent in the bathypelagic were also dominant members in the upper mesopelagic zones. Co-varying network analysis confirmed the large-scale geographical organization of the plankton communities and provided insights into the vertical distribution of bacterioplankton. This study represents the most comprehensive survey of microbial profiles in the western North Atlantic to date, revealing stark seasonal differences in composition and richness delimited by the biogeographical distribution of the planktonic communities.

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