scholarly journals Biological productivity in the Mauritanian upwelling estimated with a triple gas approach

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 4853-4875 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Steinhoff ◽  
H. W. Bange ◽  
A. Kock ◽  
D. W. R. Wallace ◽  
A. Körtzinger

Abstract. Due to their high biological productivity coastal upwelling regions are important for biogeochemical cycles in the ocean and for fisheries. Upwelled water is not only enriched in nutrients but also supersaturated with respect to atmospheric CO2 and N2O and undersaturated for O2. We present a novel approach to estimate carbon based net community production (NCP) using surface ocean data for CO2, O2 and N2O from three cruises to the Mauritanian upwelling region (Northwest Africa) that were conducted in different seasons. Through combination of the saturation patterns of CO2, O2 and N2O effects of air–sea gas exchange and NCP could be separated. NCP values ranges from 0.6 ± 0.1g C m−2 d−1 during times of weak upwelling to 1.6 ± 0.4 g C m−2 d−1 during strong upwelling. The estimated NCP values show a strong relationship with a wind derived upwelling index, which was used to estimate annual NCP.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shouvik Dey ◽  
Sourav Sil ◽  
Samiran Mandal

<p>Coastal Upwelling is a phenomenon in which cold and nutrient-enriched water from the Ekman layers reaches the surface enhancing the biological productivity of the upwelling region. In this work, an attempt is made to understand the influence of coastal upwelling on surface current variations during May 2018 to August 2018, when HF radar current observation (source: NIOT, India) is available. The wind-based Upwelling Index(UI<sub>wind</sub>) showed coastal upwelling throughout the study period. But the SST based upwelling index (UI<sub>sst</sub>) showed upwelling occurred only from May to the first week of June. Cross-shore components of HF radar-derived ocean surface current (CSSC)  showed strong similarity with UI<sub>sst</sub>. The first phase of upwelling from UI<sub>sst</sub> is observed to start on 5<sup>th</sup> May and lasts till 14<sup>th</sup> May with a maximum peak on around 10<sup>th</sup> May and having a horizontal extension of ~40 km. Then, there is a break period for about three days and after that, the second phase of upwelling starts on 17<sup>th</sup> May and lasts till 25<sup>th</sup> May with a maximum peak on around 20<sup>th</sup> May, but this time the horizontal extension is ~100 km which is much larger than during the first phase. A strong positive (from coast to offshore) CSSC is observed to start on around 5<sup>th</sup> May and lasts till 13<sup>th</sup> May with a maximum peak on around 10<sup>th</sup> May and having a horizontal extension of ~40 km, as observed from UIsst. A reversal of CSSC (towards coast) is noted on 14<sup>th</sup> May when the break of coastal upwelling is evident from UI<sub>sst</sub>. The CSSC then again started intensifying 15<sup>th</sup> May onwards and continued for ten days till 25<sup>th</sup> May, similar to UI<sub>sst</sub>.  The horizontal extension of the upwelling signature in the second phase of upwelling is ~70 km. Therefore, a 7-10 days of the coastal upwelling and its horizontal extension are identified in this study. This study suggests the use of high resolution (~6 km) HF radar current observation on the monitoring of coastal upwelling processes.</p>


2015 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 854-867 ◽  
Author(s):  
David A. Rahn ◽  
Benjamín Rosenblüth ◽  
José A. Rutllant

AbstractBiological productivity in the ocean along the Chilean coast is tied to upwelling that is primarily forced by equatorward wind stress and wind stress curl on the ocean surface. Southerly alongshore flow is driven by the southeast Pacific (SEP) anticyclone, and its intensity and position vary on a range of time scales. Variability of the SEP anticyclone has been linked to large-scale circulations such as El Niño–Southern Oscillation and the Madden–Julian oscillation. The actual timing, duration, and nature of the seasonal meridional drift of the SEP anticyclone are associated with the onset, demise, and strength of the local upwelling season. Seasonal variation is especially marked at the Punta Lavapié (37°S) upwelling focus, where there is a clear upwelling season associated with a change of the cumulative upwelling index (CUI) slope between positive and negative. The Punta Lengua de Vaca (30°S) focus typically exhibits upwelling year-round and has less distinct transitions, making it more difficult to identify an enhanced upwelling season. A two-phase linear regression model, which is typically used to detect subtle climate changes, is applied here to detect seasonal changes in CUI at Punta Lengua de Vaca. This method objectively finds distinct transitions for most years. The spring-to-summer transition is more readily detected and the slackening of the upwelling-favorable winds, warmer waters, and longer wind strengthening–relaxation cycles change the coastal upwelling ecosystem. While the spring-to-summer transition at Punta Lengua de Vaca could be influenced by large-scale circulations, the actual dates of transition are highly variable and do not show a clear relationship.


2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (16) ◽  
pp. 4529-4540 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. S. García-Corral ◽  
E. Barber ◽  
A. Regaudie-de-Gioux ◽  
S. Sal ◽  
J. M. Holding ◽  
...  

Abstract. The temperature dependence of planktonic metabolism in the subtropical North Atlantic Ocean was assessed on the basis of measurements of gross primary production (GPP), community respiration (CR) and net community production (NCP), as well as experimental assessments of the response of CR to temperature manipulations. Metabolic rates were measured at 68 stations along three consecutive longitudinal transects completed during the Malaspina 2010 Expedition, in three different seasons. Temperature gradients were observed in depth and at basin and seasonal scale. The results showed seasonal variability in the metabolic rates, the highest rates being observed during the spring transect. The overall mean integrated GPP / CR ratio was 1.39 ± 0.27 decreasing from winter to summer, and the NCP for the subtropical North Atlantic Ocean during the cruises exhibits net autotrophy (NCP > 0) in about two-thirds (66%) of the total sampled communities. Also, we reported the activation energies describing the temperature dependence of planktonic community metabolism, which was generally higher for CR than for GPP in the subtropical North Atlantic Ocean, as the metabolic theory of ecology predicts. Furthermore, we made a comparison of activation energies describing the responses to in situ temperature in the field (EaCR = 1.64 ± 0.36 eV) and those derived experimentally by temperature manipulations (EaCR = 1.45 ± 0.6 eV), which showed great consistency.


2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 1041-1051 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Zindler ◽  
I. Peeken ◽  
C. A. Marandino ◽  
H. W. Bange

Abstract. Dimethylsulphide (DMS) and dissolved and particulate dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSPd, DMSPp) were measured in near-surface waters along the Mauritanian coast, Northwest Africa, during the upwelling season in February 2008. DMS, DMSPd and DMSPp surface concentrations of up to 10 nmol L−1, 15 nmol L−1 and 990 nmol L−1, respectively, were measured. However, the DMS concentrations measured are in the low range compared to other upwelling regions. The maximum DMSPp concentration is the highest reported from upwelling regions so far, which might indicate that the Mauritanian upwelling is a hot spot for DMSP. Within the phytoplankton groups, dinoflagellates were identified as important contributors to DMS concentrations, while other algae seemed to have only a minor or no influence on DMS and DMSP concentrations. A pronounced switch from high DMSP to high DMS concentrations was observed when the nitrogen to phosphorus ratio (N:P) was below 7. The high DMS/DMSP ratios at N:P ratios <7 indicate that nitrogen limitation presumably triggered a switch from DMSP to DMS independent of the species composition. Our results underline the importance of coastal upwelling regions as a local source for surface seawater sulphur.


2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 8591-8618
Author(s):  
C. Zindler ◽  
I. Peeken ◽  
C. A. Marandino ◽  
H. W. Bange

Abstract. Dimethylsulfide (DMS) and dissolved and particulate dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSPd, DMSPp) were measured in sea surface layer along the Mauritanian coast, Northwest Africa, during the upwelling season in February 2008. DMS, DMSPd and DMSPp surface concentrations of up to 10 nmol L−1, 15 nmol L−1 and 990 nmol L−1, respectively, were measured. The maximum DMSPp concentration is the highest reported from upwelling regions so far and indicates that the Mauritanian upwelling is a hot spot of DMSP and, thus, DMS production. Dinoflagellates were responsible for the DMS production. Other phytoplankton groups seemed to have only a minor or no influence on the DMS and DMSP production. Decreasing nitrogen (i.e. increasing nitrogen limitation) most likely triggered a switch from high DMSP production to high DMS production. It seems that both nitrogen limitation and the intensive solar radiation in the tropics induced stress in DMSP producing algae and activated their antioxidant system. Our results underline the importance of coastal upwelling regions as ecosystems with a pronounced temporal and spatial variability which result in high DMSP and DMS production.


Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (17) ◽  
pp. 4987
Author(s):  
Elżbieta Adamska ◽  
Karolina Niska ◽  
Anna Wcisło ◽  
Beata Grobelna

Core-shell structures are the most common type of composite material nanostructures due to their multifunctional properties. Silver nanoparticles show broad antimicrobial activity, but the safety of their utilization still remains an issue to tackle. In many applications, the silver core is coated with inorganic shell to reduce the metal toxicity. This article presents the synthesis of various materials based on silver and silica nanoparticles, including SiO2@Ag, Ag@SiO2, and sandwich nanostructures—Ag@SiO2@Ag—and the morphology of these nanomaterials based on transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-Vis spectroscopy, and FT-IR spectroscopy. Moreover, we conducted the angle measurements due to the strong relationship between the level of surface wettability and cell adhesion efficiency. The main aim of the study was to determine the cytotoxicity of the obtained materials against two types of human skin cells—keratinocytes (HaCaT) and fibroblasts (HDF). We found that among all the obtained structures, SiO2@Ag and Ag@SiO2 showed the lowest cell toxicity and very high half-maximal inhibitory concentration. Moreover, the measurements of the contact angle showed that Ag@SiO2 nanostructures were different from other materials due to their superhydrophilic nature. The novel approach presented here shows the promise of implementing core-shell type nanomaterials in skin-applied cosmetic or medical products.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Curbelo-Hernández ◽  
J. Magdalena Santana-Casiano ◽  
Aridane González González ◽  
Melchor González-Dávila

The seasonal and spatial variability of the CO2 system and air-sea fluxes were studied in surface waters of the Strait of Gibraltar between February 2019 and March 2021. High-resolution data was collected by a surface ocean observation platform aboard a volunteer observing ship. The CO2 system was strongly influenced by temperature and salinity fluctuations forced by the seasonal and spatial variability in the depth of the Atlantic–Mediterranean Interface layer and by the tidal and wind-induced upwelling. The changes in seawater CO2 fugacity (fCO2,sw) and fluxes were mainly driven by temperature despite the significant influence of non-thermal processes in the southernmost part. The thermal to non-thermal effect ratio (T/B) reached maximum values in the northern section (&gt;1.8) and minimum values in the southern section (&lt;1.30). The fCO2,sw increased with temperature by 9.02 ± 1.99 μatm °C–1 (r2 = 0.86 and ρ = 0.93) and 4.51 ± 1.66 μatm °C–1 (r2 = 0.48 and ρ = 0.69) in the northern and southern sections, respectively. The annual cycle of total inorganic carbon normalized to a constant salinity of 36.7 (NCT) was assessed. Net community production processes described 93.5–95.6% of the total NCT change, while air-sea exchange and horizontal and vertical advection accounted for &lt;4.6%. The fCO2,sw in the Strait of Gibraltar since 1999 has been fitted to an equation with an interannual trend of 2.35 ± 0.06 μatm year–1 and a standard error of estimate of ±12.8 μatm. The seasonality of the air-sea CO2 fluxes reported the behavior as a strong CO2 sink during the cold months and as a weak CO2 source during the warm months. Both the northern and the southern sections acted as a net CO2 sink of −0.82 and −1.01 mol C m–2 year–1, respectively. The calculated average CO2 flux for the entire area was −7.12 Gg CO2 year–1 (−1.94 Gg C year–1).


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