Net Community Production and Carbon Exchange From Winter to Summer in the Atlantic Water Inflow to the Arctic Ocean

Abstract. The metabolism of the Arctic Ocean is marked by extremely pronounced seasonality and spatial heterogeneity associated with light conditions, ice cover, water masses and nutrient availability. Here we report the marine planktonic metabolic rates (net community production, gross primary production and community respiration) along three different seasons of the year, for a total of eight cruises along the western sector of the European Arctic (Fram Strait – Svalbard region) in the Arctic Ocean margin: one at the end of 2006 (fall/winter), two in 2007 (early spring and summer), two in 2008 (early spring and summer), one in 2009 (late spring–early summer), one in 2010 (spring) and one in 2011 (spring). The results show that the metabolism of the western sector of the European Arctic varies throughout the year, depending mostly on the stage of bloom and water temperature. Here we report metabolic rates for the different periods, including the spring bloom, summer and the dark period, increasing considerably the empirical basis of metabolic rates in the Arctic Ocean, and especially in the European Arctic corridor. Additionally, a rough annual metabolic estimate for this area of the Arctic Ocean was calculated, resulting in a net community production of 108 g C m−2 yr−1.

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Seasonal patterns in Arctic planktonic metabolism (Fram Strait – Svalbard region)

Biogeosciences Discussions ◽

10.5194/bgd-9-7701-2012 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 9 (6) ◽

pp. 7701-7742 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

R. Vaquer-Sunyer ◽

C. M. Duarte ◽

J. Holding ◽

A. Regaudie-de-Gioux ◽

L. S. García-Corral ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Arctic Ocean ◽

Early Spring ◽

The Arctic ◽

Fram Strait ◽

Metabolic Rates ◽

Net Community Production ◽

Western Sector ◽

The Arctic Ocean ◽

European Arctic ◽

Community Production

Abstract. The metabolism of the Arctic Ocean is marked by extreme pronounced seasonality and spatial heterogeneity associated with light conditions, ice cover, water masses and nutrient availability. Here we report the marine planktonic metabolic rates (Net Community Production, Gross Primary Production and Community Respiration) along three different seasons of the year for a total of eight cruises along the western sector of the European Arctic (Fram Strait – Svalbard region) in the Arctic Ocean margin: one at the end of 2006 (fall/winter), two in 2007 (early spring and summer), two in 2008 (early spring and summer), one in 2009 (late spring–early summer) and one in 2010 (spring). The results show that metabolisms of the western sector of the European Arctic varies throughout the year, depending mostly on the stage of bloom, which is mainly determined by availability of light and nutrients. Here we report metabolic rates for the different periods, including the spring bloom, summer and the dark period, increasing considerably the empirical basis on metabolic rates in the Artic Ocean, and especially in the European Arctic corridor. We also report a rough annual metabolic balance for this area of the Arctic Ocean, resulting in a Net Community Production of 108 g C m−2 yr−1.

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Atlantic Water properties, transport, and water mass transformation north of Svalbard from one-year-long mooring observations

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-2505 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Zoé Koenig ◽

Kjersti Kalhagen ◽

Eivind Kolås ◽

Ilker Fer ◽

Frank Nilsen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Arctic Ocean ◽

Water Layer ◽

Atlantic Water ◽

Water Inflow ◽

The Arctic ◽

Short Time Scale ◽

The Arctic Ocean ◽

Explained Variance ◽

One Year ◽

Counter Current

North of Svalbard is a key region for the Arctic Ocean heat and salt budget as it is the gateway for one of the main branches of Atlantic Water to the Arctic Ocean. As the Atlantic Water layer advances into the Arctic, its core deepens from about 250 m depth around the Yermak Plateau to 350 m in the Laptev Sea, and gets colder and less saline due to mixing with surrounding waters. The complex topography in the region facilitates vertical and horizontal exchanges between the water masses and, together with strong shear and tidal forcing driving increased mixing rates, impacts the heat and salt content of the Atlantic Water layer that will circulate around the Arctic Ocean.In September 2018, 6 moorings organized in 2 arrays were deployed across the Atlantic Water Boundary current for more than one year (until November 2019), within the framework of the Nansen Legacy project to investigate the seasonal variations of this current and the transformation of the Atlantic Water North of Svalbard. The Atlantic Water inflow exhibits a large seasonal signal, with maxima in core temperature and along-isobath velocities in fall and minima in spring. Volume transport of the Atlantic Water inflow varies from 0.7 Sv in spring to 3 Sv in fall. An empirical orthogonal function analysis of the daily cross-isobath temperature sections reveals that the first mode of variation (explained variance ~80%) is the seasonal cycle with an on/off mode in the temperature core. The second mode (explained variance ~ 15%) corresponds to a short time scale (less than 2 weeks) variability in the onshore/offshore displacement of the temperature core. On the shelf, a counter-current flowing westward is observed in spring, which transports colder (~ 1&#176;C) and fresher (~ 34.85 g kg-1) water than Atlantic Water (&#952; > 2&#176;C and SA > 34.9 g kg-1). The processes driving the dynamic of the counter-current are under investigation. At greater depth (~1000 m) on the offshore part of the slope, a bottom-intensified current is noticed that seems to covary with the wind stress curl. Heat loss of the Atlantic Water between the two mooring arrays is maximum in winter reaching 250 W m-2 when the current is the largest and the net radiative flux from the atmosphere to the ocean is the smallest (only 50 W m-2 compared to about 400 W m-2 in summer).

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Synthesis of primary production in the Arctic Ocean: III. Nitrate and phosphate based estimates of net community production

Progress In Oceanography ◽

10.1016/j.pocean.2012.11.006 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 110 ◽

pp. 126-150 ◽

Cited By ~ 121

Author(s):

L.A. Codispoti ◽

V. Kelly ◽

A. Thessen ◽

P. Matrai ◽

S. Suttles ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Primary Production ◽

Arctic Ocean ◽

The Arctic ◽

Net Community Production ◽

The Arctic Ocean ◽

Community Production

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Influence of Phytoplankton Advection on the Productivity Along the Atlantic Water Inflow to the Arctic Ocean

Frontiers in Marine Science ◽

10.3389/fmars.2019.00583 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Maria Vernet ◽

Ingrid H. Ellingsen ◽

Lena Seuthe ◽

Dag Slagstad ◽

Mattias R. Cape ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Arctic Ocean ◽

Atlantic Water ◽

Water Inflow ◽

The Arctic ◽

The Arctic Ocean

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How the Yermak Pass Branch Regulates Atlantic Water Inflow to the Arctic Ocean

Journal of Geophysical Research Oceans ◽

10.1029/2018jc014476 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 124 (1) ◽

pp. 267-280 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

L. Crews ◽

A. Sundfjord ◽

T. Hattermann

Keyword(s):

Arctic Ocean ◽

Atlantic Water ◽

Water Inflow ◽

The Arctic ◽

The Arctic Ocean

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Barents Sea upstream events impact the properties of Atlantic water inflow into the Arctic Ocean: Evidence from 2005 to 2006 downstream observations

Deep Sea Research Part I Oceanographic Research Papers ◽

10.1016/j.dsr.2008.11.005 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 56 (4) ◽

pp. 513-527 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Igor A. Dmitrenko ◽

Dorothea Bauch ◽

Sergey A. Kirillov ◽

Nikolay Koldunov ◽

Peter J. Minnett ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Arctic Ocean ◽

Barents Sea ◽

Atlantic Water ◽

Water Inflow ◽

The Arctic ◽

The Arctic Ocean

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Temperature difference across the Lomonosov Ridge: Implications for the Atlantic Water circulation in the Arctic Ocean

Geophysical Research Letters ◽

10.1029/2005gl023982 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 32 (20) ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Takashi Kikuchi

Keyword(s):

Arctic Ocean ◽

Temperature Difference ◽

Atlantic Water ◽

Water Circulation ◽

The Arctic ◽

Lomonosov Ridge ◽

The Arctic Ocean

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The role of sea ice for plastic pollution in the Arctic

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-13366 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ilka Peeken ◽

Elisa Bergami ◽

Ilaria Corsi ◽

Benedikt Hufnagl ◽

Christian Katlein ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sea Ice ◽

Arctic Ocean ◽

Long Range ◽

Environmental Concern ◽

Ice Cores ◽

Atlantic Water ◽

The Arctic ◽

Polar Regions ◽

Plastic Pollution ◽

The Arctic Ocean

Marine plastic pollution is a growing worldwide environmental concern as recent reports indicate that increasing quantities of litter disperse into secluded environments, including Polar Regions. Plastic degrades into smaller fragments under the influence of sunlight, temperature changes, mechanic abrasion and wave action resulting in small particles < 5mm called microplastics (MP). Sea ice cores, collected in the Arctic Ocean have so far revealed extremely high concentrations of very small microplastic particles, which might be transferred in the ecosystem with so far unknown consequences for the ice dependant marine food chain.&#160; Sea ice has long been recognised as a transport vehicle for any contaminates entering the Arctic Ocean from various long range and local sources. The Fram Strait is hereby both, a major inflow gateway of warm Atlantic water, with any anthropogenic imprints and the major outflow region of sea ice originating from the Siberian shelves and carried via the Transpolar Drift. The studied sea ice revealed a unique footprint of microplastic pollution, which were related to different water masses and indicating different source regions. Climate change in the Arctic include loss of sea ice, therefore, large fractions of the embedded plastic particles might be released and have an impact on living systems. By combining modeling of sea ice origin and growth, MP particle trajectories in the water column as well as MPs long-range transport via particle tracking and transport models we get first insights &#160;about the sources and pathways of MP in the Arctic Ocean and beyond and how this might affect the Arctic ecosystem.

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