Phytoplankton Pigments Reveal Size Structure and Interannual Variability of the Coastal Phytoplankton Community (Adriatic Sea)

In coastal seas, a variety of environmental variables characterise the average annual pattern of the physico-chemical environment and influence the temporal and spatial variations of phytoplankton communities. The aim of this study was to track the annual and interannual variability of phytoplankton biomass in different size classes in the Gulf of Trieste (Adriatic Sea) using phytoplankton pigments. The seasonal pattern of phytoplankton size classes showed a co-dominance of the nano and micro fractions during the spring peak and a predominance of the latter during the autumn peak. The highest picoplankton values occurred during the periods with the lowest total phytoplankton biomass, with chlorophytes dominating during the colder months and cyanobacteria during the summer. The highest number of significant correlations was found between phytoplankton taxa and size classes and temperature, nitrate and nitrite. The most obvious trend observed over the time series was an increase in picoplankton in all water layers, with the most significant trend in the bottom layer. Nano- and microplankton showed greater variation in biomass, with a decrease in nanoplankton biomass in 2011 and 2012 and negative trend in microplankton biomass in the bottom layer. These results suggest that changes in trophic relationships in the pelagic food web may also have implications for biogeochemical processes in the coastal sea.

Remote Sensing of Phytoplankton Pigments

Pigments, as a vital part of phytoplankton, act as the light harvesters and protectors in the process of photosynthesis. Historically, most of the previous studies have been focused on chlorophyll a, the primary light harvesting pigment. With the advances in technologies, especially High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and satellite ocean color remote sensing, recent studies promote the importance of the phytoplankton accessory pigments. In this chapter, we will overview the technology advances in phytoplankton pigment identification, the history of ocean color remote sensing and its application in retrieving phytoplankton pigments, and the existing challenges and opportunities for future studies in this field.

Inversion of Phytoplankton Pigment Vertical Profiles from Satellite Data Using Machine Learning

Observing the vertical dynamic of phytoplankton in the water column is essential to understand the evolution of the ocean primary productivity under climate change and the efficiency of the CO2 biological pump. This is usually made through in-situ measurements. In this paper, we propose a machine learning methodology to infer the vertical distribution of phytoplankton pigments from surface satellite observations, allowing their global estimation with a high spatial and temporal resolution. After imputing missing values through iterative completion Self-Organizing Maps, smoothing and reducing the vertical distributions through principal component analysis, we used a Self-Organizing Map to cluster the reduced profiles with satellite observations. These referent vector clusters were then used to invert the vertical profiles of phytoplankton pigments. The methodology was trained and validated on the MAREDAT dataset and tested on the Tara Oceans dataset. The different regression coefficients R2 between observed and estimated vertical profiles of pigment concentration are, on average, greater than 0.7. We could expect to monitor the vertical distribution of phytoplankton types in the global ocean.

Dependence of the Photosynthetic Quantum Yield on Phytoplankton Light Absorption: Equations for Assessing Primary Production in the Black Sea

Purpose. Investigations were performed during a scientific cruise to characterize hydrophysical properties, chlorophyll a concentration, photosynthesis-irradiance curves, spectral light absorption coefficients by phytoplankton, and spectral quantum downwelling irradiance. From these results, the dependence of the photosynthetic quantum yield upon environmental factors was studied with the purpose of adapting an algorithm developed for the Baltic Sea so that it can be applied for the Black Sea. Methods and Results. Complex hydrophysical and biological studies were carried out at several depths within the euphotic zone. Spectral bio-optical parameters were measured in accordance with the latest NASA protocols (2018). Experiments to determine the photosynthesis-light relationship were performed under temperature and light conditions similar to those in situ. The quantum yield of photosynthesis was calculated from parameters of photosynthesis-light curves (photosynthesis efficiency, light saturation parameter) and the spectral light absorption coefficients by phytoplankton pigments. It was found out that the main photosynthetic characteristics of phytoplankton, including the maximum photosynthetic quantum yield and the fraction of phytoplankton absorption associated with photoprotective accessory pigments, varied with depth within the euphotic zone, due to phytoplankton acclimation to environment factors during the period of seasonal stratification. The relationship between the photosynthetic quantum yield and the quanta absorbed by photosynthetically active phytoplankton pigments was revealed. The results of this research made it possible to build on the approach developed for other regions and modify the equation for calculating the quantum yield to apply specifically for environmental conditions in the Black Sea. Conclusions. For the first time, comprehensive studies carried out in the Black Sea, including measurements of the photosynthesis-light dependence, spectral light absorption coefficients by phytoplankton and spectral downwelling irradiance as a function of optical depths within the euphotic zone, made it possible to reveal the equation for calculating photosynthetic quantum yield. This new equation can be applied for calculating primary production of the Black Sea using a spectral approach, based both on the results of in situ measurements and remote sensing data.

Dependence of the Photosynthesis Quantum Yield on Phytoplankton Light Absorption: Equations for Assessing Primary Production in the Black Sea

Purpose. Based on the results of the investigations that were performed during the scientific cruise and included the water hydrophysical characteristics, the chlorophyll a concentration, the photosynthesis-light dependences, the spectral light absorption coefficients by phytoplankton, and the spectral quantum downwelling irradiance, the dependence of the photosynthesis quantum yield upon the environmental factors was studied with the purpose of adaptation of the developed for the Baltic Sea approach for assessing the photosynthesis quantum yield, to the Black Sea. Methods and Results. Complex hydrophysical and biological studies were carried out at several depths within the photosynthesis zone. Spectral bio-optical parameters were measured in accordance with the modern NASA protocol (2018). The experiments on studying the photosynthesis-light relationship were performed under the temperature and light conditions close to the in situ ones. The quantum yield of photosynthesis was calculated based on the parameters of photosynthesis-light dependences (photosynthesis efficiency, light saturation parameter) and the spectral light absorption coefficients by phytoplankton pigments. It was found out that the main photosynthetic characteristics of phytoplankton including the photosynthesis maximum quantum yield and the portion of photoprotective accessory pigments in the total light absorption by phytoplankton varied with depth within the euphotic zone due to phytoplankton adaptation to the environment factors during the period of water seasonal stratification. The relationship between the photosynthesis quantum yield and the number of solar energy quanta absorbed by the photosynthetically active phytoplankton pigments was revealed. The results of the performed research allowed for modifying the equation for calculating the quantum yield for the Black Sea environment conditions according to the approach developed for the other water areas. Conclusions. For the first time, comprehensive studies carried out in the Black Sea and including the measurements of the photosynthesis-light dependences, the spectral light absorption coefficients by phytoplankton and spectral downwelling irradiance at particular optical depths within the euphotic zone enabled to reveal the equation for calculating the photosynthesis quantum yield, which could be applied for calculating primary production of the Black Sea using the spectral approach based both on the results of in situ measurements and the remote sensing data.

The Effect of Cold and Warm Anomalies on Phytoplankton Pigment Composition in Waters off the Northern Baja California Peninsula (México): 2007–2016

In this study, we report the response of phytoplankton community composition to cold and warm interannual events affecting the waters off the Baja California Peninsula from 2007 to 2016 based on data obtained from a single marine station (31.75° N/116.96° W). Included variables were satellite chlorophyll a, sea surface temperature (MODIS/Aqua), upwelling intensity, and field data (phytoplankton pigments, inorganic nutrients, light penetration). Phytoplankton pigments were determined by high performance liquid chromatography, and CHEMTAX software was used to determine the relative contributions of the main taxonomic groups to chlorophyll a. Our results confirm the decrease in phytoplankton biomass due to the influence of the recent Pacific Warm Anomaly (2014) and El Niño 2015–2016. However, this decrease was especially marked at the surface. When data from the entire water column was considered, this decrease was not significant, because at the subsurface Chla did not decrease as much. Nevertheless, significant changes in community composition occurred in the entire water column with Cyanobacteria (including Prochlorococcus) and Prymnesiophytes being dominant at the surface, while Chlorophytes and Prasinophytes made a strong contribution at the subsurface. Analysis of the spatial distribution of SST and satellite chlorophyll a made it possible to infer the spatial extension of these anomalies at a regional scale.

Coastal Phytoplankton Pigments Composition in Three Tropical Estuaries of Indonesia

In this study, the composition and distribution of phytoplankton pigments and its relation to nutrients and light was investigated, and an elaboration of using it as a proxy for phytoplankton group composition followed, in different nutrient-level tropical bays of Indonesia. Phytoplankton pigment analysis by using High Performance Liquid Chromatographer (HPLC) resulted in a set of pigments of chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), chlorophyll-b (Chl-b), chlorophyll-c (Chl-c), lutein, zeaxanthin, fucoxanthin, peridinin, diadinoxanthin, and ß-carotene. Linear multi regression and multivariate principal component analysis (PCA) showed that algae pigments correlate positively with nutrients and are not significantly correlated with underwater light and water transparency, suggesting important roles of nutrients for phytoplankton development in tropical estuaries. There were differences in total algae pigment concentration between bays (p < 0.005), showing that the eutrophic system of Jakarta Bay was the highest (mean of 10.55 μg L−1), Lampung Bay was the second highest (mean of 3.37 μg L−1), and the lowest were the oligotrophic waters of Semangka Bay (mean of 0.80 μg L−1). At all bays studied, high nutrient sites, which were located in the river mouths and inner part of the bay, were always characterized by high phytoplankton pigment concentration. Pigment composition had a high correlation with phytoplankton composition: diatoms with fucoxanthin, dinoflagellates with peridinin and Chl-c, and Chlorophyceae with Chl-b and lutein. This conformity suggests that algae pigments can be used as a biomarker for phytoplankton group determination along with microscopic species identification.