Monitoring the Environment in the Northwestern Mediterranean Sea

The Mediterranean ◽

Ocean Observing ◽

Northwestern Mediterranean ◽

Environmental Anomalies

The Mediterranean Ocean Observing System for the Environment (MOOSE) network integrates a range of platforms to detect and identify long-term environmental anomalies.

Reproductive cycle and trophic ecology in deep versus shallow populations of the Mediterranean gorgonian Eunicella singularis (Cap de Creus, northwestern Mediterranean Sea)

Coral Reefs ◽

10.1007/s00338-012-0904-1 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 31 (3) ◽

pp. 823-837 ◽

Cited By ~ 45

Author(s):

A. Gori ◽

N. Viladrich ◽

J-M. Gili ◽

M. Kotta ◽

C. Cucio ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mediterranean Sea ◽

Reproductive Cycle ◽

Trophic Ecology ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

Long-term comparison of macrobenthos within the soft bottoms of the Bay of Banyuls-sur-mer (northwestern Mediterranean Sea)

Journal of Sea Research ◽

10.1016/s1385-1101(98)00032-x ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 40 (3-4) ◽

pp. 281-302 ◽

Cited By ~ 48

Author(s):

A Grémare ◽

J.M Amouroux ◽

G Vétion

Keyword(s):

Mediterranean Sea ◽

Soft Bottoms ◽

Long-term fluctuations (1974-99) of the salps Thalia democratica and Salpa fusiformis in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea: Relationships with hydroclimatic variability

Limnology and Oceanography ◽

10.4319/lo.2006.51.4.1832 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 51 (4) ◽

pp. 1832-1848 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

Priscilla Licandro ◽

FrÉdÉric Ibañez ◽

Michèle Etienne

Keyword(s):

Mediterranean Sea ◽

Hydroclimatic Variability ◽

Size and spatial structure in deep versus shallow populations of the Mediterranean gorgonian Eunicella singularis (Cap de Creus, northwestern Mediterranean Sea)

Marine Biology ◽

10.1007/s00227-011-1686-7 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 158 (8) ◽

pp. 1721-1732 ◽

Cited By ~ 51

Author(s):

Andrea Gori ◽

Sergio Rossi ◽

Cristina Linares ◽

Elisa Berganzo ◽

Covadonga Orejas ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Spatial Structure ◽

Mediterranean Sea ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

The composition and flux of particulate and dissolved carbohydrates from the Rhone River into the Mediterranean Sea

Biogeosciences ◽

10.5194/bg-9-1827-2012 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 9 (5) ◽

pp. 1827-1844 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

C. Panagiotopoulos ◽

R. Sempéré ◽

J. Para ◽

P. Raimbault ◽

C. Rabouille ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Dissolved Organic Matter ◽

Mediterranean Sea ◽

Terrestrial Organic Matter ◽

Rhône River ◽

Rhone River ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

Northwestern Mediterranean ◽

Annual Flux

Abstract. Carbohydrates are important components of the carbon cycle and may be used as indicators of the origin and the diagenetic status of marine and terrestrial organic matter. Nevertheless, comprehensive studies of both particulate (PCHO) and dissolved (DCHO) carbohydrates in rivers are scarce, and the seasonal and interannual variability of these compounds in relationship to the bulk particulate (POM) and dissolved organic matter (DOM) is largely unknown. For the period 2007–2009, we sampled once per month POM and DOM and measured the total suspended matter (TSM), POM, DOM, PCHO, and DCHO for the Rhône River, which flows into the Mediterranean Sea. Using these measurements, we estimated for the above parameters annual fluxes for the period 2007–2009. The estimated carbohydrate fluxes averaged 0.064 ± 0.026 × 1010 moles C yr−1 for PCHO and 0.042 ± 0.008 × 1010 moles C yr−1 DCHO, representing 6 % and 7 % of the annual flux of POC and DOC, respectively. During flood and low-water periods, POM variations were reflected into the PCHO pool, whereas this was not observed for DOC and DCHO, indicating a decoupling between particulate and dissolved organic matter. Our results also showed that flood and low-water periods may be differentiated using the ratios PCHO/DCHO and POC/DOC, which had a significant relationship. Based on the carbohydrate abundances in both the PCHO and DCHO pools, we conclude that this material mainly derives from allochthonous sources (vascular plants, bacteria and soils). Moreover, during flood events, an enrichment in mannose in POM was observed, probably reflecting an angiosperm source (leaves or grasses). By expanding our results to the northwestern Mediterranean Sea (Gulf of Lions), we found that the total organic carbon (TOC) fluxes of the Rhône River accounted for ~1 % of the standing stock of seawater TOC. Considering that glucose is the most abundant carbohydrate in both particulate and dissolved organic matter pools (~33 %), its annual flux in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea was estimated to 3.8 × 108 moles glucose.

Spatio-temporal variability of micro-, nano- and pico-phytoplankton in the Mediterranean Sea from satellite ocean colour data of SeaWiFS

Ocean Science ◽

10.5194/os-11-759-2015 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. 759-778 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

M. Sammartino ◽

A. Di Cicco ◽

S. Marullo ◽

R. Santoleri

Keyword(s):

Mediterranean Sea ◽

Chlorophyll A ◽

Spring Bloom ◽

The Other ◽

Alboran Sea ◽

Phytoplankton Size ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

Alborán Sea ◽

Abstract. The seasonal and year-to-year variability of the phytoplankton size class (PSC) spatial distribution has been examined in the Mediterranean Sea by using the entire time series of Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) space observations (1998–2010). Daily maps of PSCs have been determined using an empirical model based on a synoptic relationship between surface chlorophyll a and diagnostic pigments referred to different taxonomic groups. The analysis of micro-, nano- and pico-phytoplankton satellite time series (1998–2010) describes, quantitatively, the algal assemblage structure over the basin and reveals that the main contribution to chlorophyll a in most of the Mediterranean Sea comes from the pico-phytoplankton component, especially in nutrient-poor environments. Regions with different and peculiar features are the Northwestern Mediterranean Sea, the Alborán Sea and several coastal areas, such as the North Adriatic Sea. In these areas, local interactions between physical and biological components modulate the composition of the three phytoplankton size classes. It results that, during the spring bloom season, micro-phytoplankton dominates in areas of intense vertical winter mixing and deep/intermediate water formation, while in coastal areas micro-phytoplankton dominates in all seasons because of the nutrient supply from the terrestrial inputs. In the Alborán Sea, where the Atlantic inflow modulates the nutrient availability, any predominance of one class over the other two has been observed. The nano-phytoplankton component instead remains widespread over the entire basin along the year, and its contribution to chlorophyll a is of the order of 30–40 %. The largest inter-annual signal occurs in the Northwestern Mediterranean Sea, driven by the year-to-year variation in intensity and extension of the spring bloom, followed by the Alborán Sea, in which the inter-annual variability is strongly modulated by the Atlantic inflow. In absence of sufficient in situ data of community composition, the satellite-based analysis demonstrated that pico-, nano- and micro-phytoplankton classes often coexist. The predominance of one group over the other ones is strongly dependent on the physical and biological processes occurring at the mesoscale. These processes directly influence the nutrient and light availability, which are the principal forcing for the algae growth.

The composition and flux of particulate and dissolved carbohydrates from the Rhône River into the Mediterranean Sea

Biogeosciences Discussions ◽

10.5194/bgd-8-11165-2011 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 8 (6) ◽

pp. 11165-11213 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

C. Panagiotopoulos ◽

R. Sempéré ◽

J. Para ◽

P. Raimbault ◽

C. Rabouille ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Dissolved Organic Matter ◽

Mediterranean Sea ◽

Terrestrial Organic Matter ◽

Rhône River ◽

Rhone River ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

Northwestern Mediterranean ◽

Annual Flux

Abstract. Carbohydrates are important components of the carbon cycle and may be used as indicators of the origin and the diagenetic status of marine and terrestrial organic matter. Nevertheless, comprehensive studies of both particulate (PCHO) and dissolved (DCHO) carbohydrates in rivers are scarce, and the seasonal and interannual variability of these compounds in relationship to the bulk particulate (POM) and dissolved organic matter (DOM) is largely unknown. For the period 2007–2009, we sampled once per month POM and DOM and measured the total suspended matter (TSM), POM, DOM, PCHO, and DCHO for the Rhône River, which flows into the Mediterranean Sea. Using these measurements, we estimated for the above parameters annual fluxes for the period 2001–2010. The estimated carbohydrate fluxes averaged 0.061±0.043×1010 moles Cy−1 for PCHO and 0.041±0.0062×1010 moles Cy−1 DCHO, representing 8% and 7% of the annual flux of POC and DOC, respectively. During flood and low-water periods, POM variations were reflected into the PCHO pool, whereas this was not observed for DOC and DCHO, indicating a decoupling between particulate and dissolved organic matter. Our results also showed that flood and low-water periods may be differentiated using the ratios PCHO/DCHO and POC/DOC, which had a significant linear relationship. Based on the carbohydrate abundances in both the PCHO and DCHO pools, we conclude that this material mainly derives from allochthonous sources (vascular plants, bacteria and soils). Moreover, during flood events, an enrichment in mannose in POM was observed, probably reflecting an angiosperm source (leaves or grasses). By expanding our results to the northwestern Mediterranean Sea (Gulf of Lions), we found that the total organic carbon (TOC) fluxes of the Rhône River accounted for ~1% of the standing stock of seawater TOC. Considering that glucose is the most abundant carbohydrate in both particulate and dissolved organic matter pools (~33%), its annual flux in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea was estimated to 19.2×108 moles glucose-C.

Spatio-temporal variability of micro-, nano- and pico-phytoplankton in the Mediterranean Sea from satellite ocean colour data of SeaWiFS

Ocean Science Discussions ◽

10.5194/osd-12-161-2015 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 161-201 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

M. Sammartino ◽

A. Di Cicco ◽

S. Marullo ◽

R. Santoleri

Keyword(s):

Time Series ◽

Spatial Distribution ◽

Mediterranean Sea ◽

Chlorophyll A ◽

Spring Bloom ◽

The Other ◽

Phytoplankton Size ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

Abstract. The seasonal and year-to-year variability of the spatial distribution of the Phytoplankton Size Classes (PSCs) has been examined in the Mediterranean Sea using the entire time series of Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) space observations (1998 to 2010). PSCs daily maps have been determined using an empirical model based on a synoptic relationship between surface chlorophyll a and diagnostic pigments referred to different taxonomic groups. The validation of model PSCs estimates using a Mediterranean HPLC pigments dataset revealed that the model is able to correctly detect the contribution of pico-, nano- and micro-phytoplankton to TChl a. The analysis of micro-, nano- and pico-phytoplankton satellite time series (1998–2010) describes quantitatively the seasonal and inter-annual variability of the spatial distribution of the algal assemblage structure over the basin. The analysis reveals that in most of the Mediterranean Sea the main contribution to the chlorophyll a all around the year comes from the pico-phytoplankton component, above all in poor nutrient conditions. Regions with different and peculiar features are the northwestern Mediterranean Sea, the Alborán Sea and several coastal areas, such as the north Adriatic Sea. In these areas, local interactions between physical and biological components modulate the competition between the three phytoplankton size classes. It results that, during the spring bloom season, micro-phytoplankton dominates in areas of intense vertical winter mixing and deep/intermediate water formation; while, in coastal areas, micro-phytoplankton dominates in all seasons, thanks to the nutrients supply that comes from the terrestrial inputs. In the Alborán Sea, in which the Atlantic inflow modulates the nutrient availability, any predominance of one class over the other two has been observed. Nano-phytoplankton component instead remains widespread over the entire basin along the year, and its contribution to the TChl a is of the order of 30–50%. The inter-annual variability is observed in the whole basin, but the largest inter-annual signal occurs in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea, driven by the year-to-year variation in intensity and extension of the spring bloom. In absence of sufficient in situ data of community composition, the satellite-based analysis demonstrated that pico, nano and micro classes often coexist. The predominance of one group over the other ones is strongly dependent on the physical-biological processes occurring at mesoscale. These processes directly influence the nutrient and light availability, which are the principal forcing for the algae growth.