scholarly journals Distribution and recurrence of phytoplankton blooms around South Georgia, Southern Ocean

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 10087-10120 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Borrione ◽  
R. Schlitzer
Keyword(s):  
Southern Ocean ◽  
Seasonal Cycle ◽  
Austral Summer ◽  
Ocean Colour ◽  
Phytoplankton Blooms ◽  
Chl A ◽  
South Georgia ◽  
The North ◽  
Georgia Basin ◽  
Second Peak

Abstract. South Georgia phytoplankton blooms are amongst the largest of the Southern Ocean and are associated with a rich ecosystem and strong atmospheric carbon drawdown. Both aspects depend on the intensity of blooms, but also on their regularity. Here we use data from 12 yr of SeaWiFS ocean colour imagery and calculate the frequency of bloom occurrence (FBO) to re-examine spatial and temporal bloom distributions. We find that upstream of the island and outside the borders of the Georgia Basin, blooms occurred in less than 4 out of the 12 yr (FBO < 4). In contrast, FBO was mostly greater than 8 downstream of the island, i.e. to the north and northwest, and in places equal to 12, indicating that blooms occurred every year. The typical bloom area, defined as the region where blooms occurred in at least 8 out of the 12 yr, covers the entire Georgia Basin and the northern shelf of the island. The time series of surface chlorophyll-a (chl-a) concentrations averaged over the typical bloom area shows that phytoplankton blooms occurred in every year between September 1997 and September 2010, and that chl-a values followed a clear seasonal cycle, with concentration peaks around December followed in many years by a second peak during late austral summer or early autumn, suggesting a bi-modal bloom pattern. The bloom regularity we describe here is in contrast with results of Park et al. (2010) who used a significantly different study area including regions that almost never exhibit bloom conditions.

scholarly journals Distribution and recurrence of phytoplankton blooms around South Georgia, Southern Ocean

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 217-231 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Borrione ◽  
R. Schlitzer
Keyword(s):  
Southern Ocean ◽  
Austral Summer ◽  
Wide Field ◽  
Phytoplankton Blooms ◽  
Chl A ◽  
South Georgia ◽  
The North ◽  
Wide Field Of View ◽  
Georgia Basin ◽  
Second Peak

Abstract. South Georgia phytoplankton blooms are amongst the largest of the Southern Ocean and are associated with a rich ecosystem and strong atmospheric carbon drawdown. Both aspects depend on the intensity of blooms, but also on their regularity. Here we use data from 12 yr of SeaWiFS (Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor) ocean colour imagery and calculate the frequency of bloom occurrence (FBO) to re-examine spatial and temporal bloom distributions. We find that upstream of the island and outside the borders of the Georgia Basin, blooms occurred in less than 4 out of the 12 yr (FBO < 4). In contrast, FBO was mostly greater than 8 downstream of the island, i.e., to the north and northwest, and in places equal to 12, indicating that blooms occurred every year. The typical bloom area, defined as the region where blooms occurred in at least 8 out of the 12 yr, covers the entire Georgia Basin and the northern shelf of the island. The time series of surface chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentrations averaged over the typical bloom area shows that phytoplankton blooms occurred in every year between September 1997 and September 2010, and that Chl a values followed a clear seasonal cycle, with concentration peaks around December followed in many years by a second peak during late austral summer or early autumn, suggesting a bi-modal bloom pattern. The bloom regularity we describe here is in contrast with results of Park et al. (2010) who used a significantly different study area including regions that almost never exhibit bloom conditions.

scholarly journals Mechanisms of dissolved and labile particulate iron supply to shelf waters and phytoplankton blooms off South Georgia, Southern Ocean

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (16) ◽  
pp. 4973-4993 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Schlosser ◽  
Katrin Schmidt ◽  
Alfred Aquilina ◽  
William B. Homoky ◽  
Maxi Castrillejo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Southern Ocean ◽  
Water Column ◽  
Mixed Layer ◽  
Surface Mixed Layer ◽  
Pore Waters ◽  
Phytoplankton Blooms ◽  
Faecal Pellets ◽  
South Georgia ◽  
Shelf Sediments ◽  
Bottom Waters

Abstract. The island of South Georgia is situated in the iron (Fe)-depleted Antarctic Circumpolar Current of the Southern Ocean. Iron emanating from its shelf system fuels large phytoplankton blooms downstream of the island, but the actual supply mechanisms are unclear. To address this, we present an inventory of Fe, manganese (Mn), and aluminium (Al) in shelf sediments, pore waters, and the water column in the vicinity of South Georgia, alongside data on zooplankton-mediated Fe cycling processes, and provide estimates of the relative dissolved Fe (DFe) fluxes from these sources. Seafloor sediments, modified by authigenic Fe precipitation, were the main particulate Fe source to shelf bottom waters as indicated by the similar Fe ∕ Mn and Fe ∕ Al ratios for shelf sediments and suspended particles in the water column. Less than 1 % of the total particulate Fe pool was leachable surface-adsorbed (labile) Fe and therefore potentially available to organisms. Pore waters formed the primary DFe source to shelf bottom waters, supplying 0.1–44 µmol DFe m−2 d−1. However, we estimate that only 0.41±0.26 µmol DFe m−2 d−1 was transferred to the surface mixed layer by vertical diffusive and advective mixing. Other trace metal sources to surface waters included glacial flour released by melting glaciers and via zooplankton egestion and excretion processes. On average 6.5±8.2 µmol m−2 d−1 of labile particulate Fe was supplied to the surface mixed layer via faecal pellets formed by Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba), with a further 1.1±2.2 µmol DFe m−2 d−1 released directly by the krill. The faecal pellets released by krill included seafloor-derived lithogenic and authigenic material and settled algal debris, in addition to freshly ingested suspended phytoplankton cells. The Fe requirement of the phytoplankton blooms ∼ 1250 km downstream of South Georgia was estimated as 0.33±0.11 µmol m−2 d−1, with the DFe supply by horizontal/vertical mixing, deep winter mixing, and aeolian dust estimated as ∼0.12 µmol m−2 d−1. We hypothesize that a substantial contribution of DFe was provided through recycling of biogenically stored Fe following luxury Fe uptake by phytoplankton on the Fe-rich shelf. This process would allow Fe to be retained in the surface mixed layer of waters downstream of South Georgia through continuous recycling and biological uptake, supplying the large downstream phytoplankton blooms.

scholarly journals Sedimentary and atmospheric sources of iron around South Georgia, Southern Ocean: a modelling perspective

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1981-2001 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Borrione ◽  
O. Aumont ◽  
M. C. Nielsdóttir ◽  
R. Schlitzer
Keyword(s):  
Southern Ocean ◽  
Phytoplankton Bloom ◽  
Biogeochemical Model ◽  
Dust Deposition ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Western Atlantic ◽  
Atlantic Sector ◽  
South Georgia ◽  
The North ◽  
Mean Square Errors

Abstract. In high-nutrient low-chlorophyll waters of the western Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean, an intense phytoplankton bloom is observed annually north of South Georgia. Multiple sources, including shallow sediments and atmospheric dust deposition, are thought to introduce iron to the region. However, the relative importance of each source is still unclear, owing in part to the scarcity of dissolved iron (dFe) measurements in the South Georgia region. In this study, we combine results from a recently published dFe data set around South Georgia with a coupled regional hydrodynamic and biogeochemical model to further investigate iron supply around the island. The biogeochemical component of the model includes an iron cycle, where sediments and dust deposition are the sources of iron to the ocean. The model captures the characteristic flow patterns around South Georgia, hence simulating a large phytoplankton bloom to the north (i.e. downstream) of the island. Modelled dFe concentrations agree well with observations (mean difference and root mean square errors of ~0.02 nM and ~0.81 nM) and form a large plume to the north of the island that extends eastwards for more than 800 km. In agreement with observations, highest dFe concentrations are located along the coast and decrease with distance from the island. Sensitivity tests indicate that most of the iron measured in the main bloom area originates from the coast and very shallow shelf-sediments (depths < 20 m). Dust deposition exerts almost no effect on surface chlorophyll a concentrations. Other sources of iron such as run-off and glacial melt are not represented explicitly in the model, however we discuss their role in the local iron budget.

scholarly journals Substantial open-ocean phytoplankton blooms to the north of South Georgia, South Atlantic, during summer

1996 ◽  
Vol 140 ◽  
pp. 187-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
MJ Whitehouse ◽  
J Priddle ◽  
PN Trathan ◽  
MA Brandon
Keyword(s):  
South Atlantic ◽  
Open Ocean ◽  
Phytoplankton Blooms ◽  
South Georgia ◽  
The North

scholarly journals Antarctic slush-ice algal accumulation not quantified through conventional satellite imagery: Beware the ice of March

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 6187-6222 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. L. Lieser ◽  
M. A. J. Curran ◽  
A. R. Bowie ◽  
A. T. Davidson ◽  
S. J. Doust ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Southern Ocean ◽  
Primary Production ◽  
Satellite Imagery ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Ocean Colour ◽  
Widespread Occurrence ◽  
Chl A ◽  
Terra Nova Bay ◽  
Direct Sampling

Abstract. Our current knowledge of broad-scale patterns of primary production in the Southern Ocean is derived from satellite ocean-colour estimates of chlorophyll a (Chl a) in the open ocean, typically in spring-summer. Here, we provide evidence that large-scale intra-ice phytoplankton surface aggregation occur off the coast of Antarctica during austral autumn, and that these "blooms" are largely undetected in satellite ocean-colour time series (which mask the ice-covered ocean). We present an analysis of (i) true-colour (visible) satellite imagery in combination with (ii) conventional ocean-colour data, and (iii) direct sampling from a research vessel, to identify and characterise a large-scale intra-ice algal occurrence off the coast of East Antarctica in early autumn (March) 2012. We also present evidence of these autumn "blooms" in other regions (for example, Princess Astrid Coast in 2012) and other years (for example, Terra Nova Bay in 2015) implying regular and widespread occurrence of these phenomena. The occurrence of such undetected algal accumulations implies that the magnitude of primary production in the Southern Ocean is currently underestimated.

scholarly journals Dissolved greenhouse gases (nitrous oxide and methane) associated with the natural iron-fertilized Kerguelen region (KEOPS 2 cruise) in the Southern Ocean

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 12531-12569 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Farías ◽  
L. Florez-Leiva ◽  
V. Besoain ◽  
C. Fernández
Keyword(s):  
Nitrous Oxide ◽  
Southern Ocean ◽  
Greenhouse Gases ◽  
Phytoplankton Bloom ◽  
Polar Front ◽  
Austral Spring ◽  
Chl A ◽  
The North ◽  
Natural Iron ◽  
Nutrient Fertilization

Abstract. The concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHGs) like nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) were measured in the Kerguelen Plateau Region (KPR), an area with annual microalgal bloom caused by natural Fe fertilization, which may stimulate microbes involved in GHG cycling. This study was carried out during the KEOPS 2 cruise during the austral spring of 2011. Two transects were sampled along and across the KRP, the north–south (N–S) transect (46–51° S, 72° E meridian) and the west–east (W–E) transect (66–75° E, 48.3° S latitude), both associated with the presence of a plateau, polar fronts and other mesoscale features. The W–E transect had N2O levels ranging from equilibrium (105%) to light supersaturation (120%) with respect to the atmosphere. CH4 levels fluctuated dramatically, with intense supersaturations (120–970%) in areas close to the coastal waters of Kerguelen Island and in the polar front (PF). There, Fe and nutrient fertilization seem to promote high total chlorophyll a (TChl a) levels. The distribution of both gases was more homogenous in the N–S transect, but CH4 peaked at southeastern stations of the KPR (A3 stations), where phytoplankton bloom was observed. Both gases responded significantly to the patchy distribution of particulate matter as Chl a, stimulated by Fe supply by complex mesoscale circulation. While CH4 appears to be produced mainly at the pycnoclines, N2O seems to be consumed superficially. Air–sea fluxes for N2O (from −10.5 to 8.65, mean 1.71 μmol m−2d−1), and for CH4 (from 0.32 to 38.1, mean 10.07 μmol m−2d−1) reflected sink and source behavior for N2O and source behavior for CH4, with considerable variability associated with a highly fluctuating wind regime and, in the case of CH4, due to its high superficial levels that had not been reported before in the Southern Ocean and may be caused by an intense microbial CH4 cycling.

The abundance and biomass of choanoflagellates and other nanoflagellates in waters of contrasting temperature to the north-west of South Georgia in the Southern Ocean

2002 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 333-350 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raymond J.G. Leakey ◽  
Barry S.C. Leadbeater ◽  
Elaine Mitchell ◽  
Sharon M.M. McCready ◽  
Alistair W.A. Murray
Keyword(s):  
Southern Ocean ◽  
North West ◽  
South Georgia ◽  
The North

scholarly journals Preliminary Findings on Distribution of Bali Sardinella (Sardinella lemuru) in Relation to Oceanographic Conditions during Southeast Monsoon in Bali Strait Using Remotely Sensed Data

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Achmad Fachruddin Syah ◽  
Nurul Setyowati ◽  
Eko Susilo
Keyword(s):  
Infrared Imaging ◽  
Remotely Sensed ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Ocean Colour ◽  
Remotely Sensed Data ◽  
Chl A ◽  
Oceanographic Condition ◽  
The North ◽  
A Value ◽  
North Part

Bali sardinella (Sardinella lemuru) is the main fishing catches in Bali Strait. The distribution of S. lemuru and its preferred oceanographic condition were investigated from remotely sensed data. The objectives of this study were to elucidate the distribution of S. lemuru and the preferred oceanographic condition of S. lemuru in Bali Strait using remotely sensed data. Sea surface temperature (SST) and sea surface chlorophyll-a (chl-a) were downloaded from ocean colour website meanwhile the fishing location generated from daily Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) boat detection (VDB), downloaded from NOAA website. The results showed that at the beginning of southeast monsoon (April), most of the fishing location appeared in the north part of Bali Strait, and moved to south part of Bali Strait at the end of the southeast monsoon (September). The results also revealed that most of fishing location of S. lemuru located in SST value of 26 – 30 °C and chl-a value of 0.3 – 0.8 mg/m3. Integration VDB data and oceanographic condition generated from remotely sensed data could form the basis for fisheries management and information system, such as S. lemuru in Bali Strait, in the future.

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