Nutrient utilization and diatom productivity changes in the low-latitude south-eastern Atlantic over the past 70 ka: response to Southern Ocean leakage

Eastern boundary upwellings (EBUs) are some of the key loci of biogenic silica (opal) burial in the modern ocean, representing important productive coastal systems that extraordinarily contribute to marine organic carbon fixation. The Benguela upwelling system (BUS), in the low-latitude south-eastern Atlantic, is one of the major EBUs and is under the direct influence of nutrient-rich Southern Ocean waters. Quantification of past changes in diatom productivity through time, in response to late Quaternary climatic change, feeds into our understanding of the sensitivity of EBUs to future climatic perturbations. Existing sediment archives of silica cycling include opal burial fluxes, diatom assemblages, and opaline silicon isotopic variations (denoted by δ30Si). Burial fluxes and siliceous assemblages are limited to recording the remains reaching the sediment (i.e. export), and δ30Si variations are complicated by species-specific influences and seasonality. Here, we present the first combined δ30Si record of two large centric diatoms from the BUS, encompassing full glacial conditions to the Holocene. In addition to export, our new data allow us to reconstruct the utilization of dissolved Si in surface waters in an area with strong input from Southern Ocean waters. Our new archives show that there was enhanced upwelling of Southern Ocean Si-rich water accompanied by strong silicic acid utilization by coastal dwelling diatoms during Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS3; 60–40 ka). This pulse of strong silicic acid utilization was followed by a weakening of upwelling and coastal diatom Si utilization into MIS2, before an increase in pelagic diatom Si utilization across the deglaciation. We combine our findings with mass balance model experiments to show that changes in surface water silica cycling through time are a function of both upwelling intensity and utilization changes, illustrating the sensitivity of EBUs to climatic change on glacial–interglacial scales.

Nutrient utilization and diatom productivity changes in the low-latitude SE Atlantic over the past 70 kyr: Response to Southern Ocean leakage

Eastern Boundary Upwellings (EBUs) are some of the key loci of biogenic silica (opal) burial in the modern ocean, representing important productive coastal systems that extraordinarily contribute to marine organic carbon fixation. The Benguela Upwelling System (BUS), in the low-latitude SE Atlantic, is one of the major EBUs, which is under the direct influence of nutrient-rich Southern Ocean waters. Quantification of past changes in diatom productivity through time, in response to Late Quaternary climatic change, feeds into our understanding of the sensitivity of EBUs to future climatic perturbations. Existing sediment archives of silica cycling include: opal burial fluxes, diatom assemblages and opaline silicon isotopic variations (denoted by d30Si). Burial fluxes and siliceous assemblages are limited to recording the remains reaching the sediment (i.e. export), and d30Si variations are complicated by species-specific influences and seasonality. Here, we present the first species-specific d30Si record from the BUS, encompassing full glacial conditions to the Holocene. In addition to export, our new data allows us to reconstruct utilisation of dissolved Si in surface waters in an area with strong input from Southern Ocean waters. Our new archives show that there was enhanced upwelling of Southern Ocean Si-rich water, and accompanied strong silicic acid utilisation by coastal dwelling diatoms, during Marine Isotope Stage 3 (60–40 kyr). This pulse of strong silicic acid utilisation was followed by a weakening of upwelling and coastal diatom Si utilisation into MIS2, before an increase in pelagic diatom Si utilisation across the deglaciation. We combine our findings with mass balance model experiments to show that changes in surface water silica cycling through time are a function of both upwelling intensity and utilisation changes, illustrating the sensitivity of EBUs to climatic change on glacial-interglacial scales.

Temporal and spatial variability of terrestrial diatoms at the catchment scale: controls on productivity and comparison with other soil algae

Terrestrial diatoms are an integral component of the soil microbial community. However, their productivity and how it compares to other algal groups remains poorly known. This lack of knowledge hampers their potential use as environmental markers in various applications. As a way forward, we investigated the seasonal and spatial patterns of diatom assemblages and the role of environmental factors on the soil diatom productivity. We collected soil algal samples in 16 sites across the Attert River basin (Luxembourg) every 4 weeks for a period of 12 months. The algal abundances were then derived from pigment analysis using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography. Our results indicate that diatom productivity is mainly controlled by factors related to soil moisture availability leading to seasonal patterns, whereas the concentration of green algae remained stable over the course of the study period. Generally, anthropic disturbed habitats contained less living diatom cells than undisturbed habitats. Also, we learned that diatoms can be the dominant algal group at periods of the year with high soil moisture.

Biogenic silica production and diatom dynamics in the Svalbard region during spring

Diatoms are generally the dominant contributors to the Arctic Ocean spring bloom, which is a key event in regional food webs in terms of capacity for secondary production and organic matter export. Dissolved silicic acid is an obligate nutrient for diatoms and has been declining in the European Arctic. The lack of regional silicon cycling information precludes understanding the consequences of such changes for diatom productivity during the Arctic spring bloom. This study communicates the results from a cruise in the European Arctic around Svalbard reporting the first concurrent data on biogenic silica production and export, diatom cellular export, the degree of kinetic limitation by ambient silicic acid, and diatom contribution to primary production. Regional biogenic silica production rates were significantly lower than those achievable in the Southern Ocean and silicic acid concentration limited the biogenic silica production rate in 95 % of samples. Compared to diatoms in the Atlantic subtropical gyre, regional diatoms are less adapted for silicic acid uptake at low substrate, and at some stations during the present study, silicon limitation may have been intense enough to limit diatom growth. Thus, silicic acid can play a critical role in diatom spring bloom dynamics. Diatom contribution to primary production was variable, ranging from

The origin of lithogenic sediment in the south-western Ross Sea and implications for iron fertilization

Summer iron (Fe) fertilization in the Ross Sea has previously been observed in association with diatom productivity, lithogenic particles and excess Fe in the water column. This productivity event occurred during an early breakout of sea ice via katabatic winds, suggesting that aeolian dust could be an important source of lithogenic Fe required for diatom growth in the Ross Sea. Here we investigate the provenance of size-selected dust deposited on sea ice in McMurdo Sound, south-western (SW) Ross Sea. The isotopic signature of McMurdo Sound dust (0.70533<87Sr/86Sr<0.70915 and -1.1<εNd(0)<3.45) confirms that dust is locally sourced from the McMurdo Sound debris bands and comprises a two-component mixture of McMurdo Volcanic Group and southern Victoria Land lithologies. In addition, the provenance of lithogenic sediment trapped in the water column was investigated, and the isotopic signature (εNd(0)=3.9, 87Sr/86Sr=0.70434) is differentiated from long-range transported dust originating from South America and Australia. Elevated lithogenic accumulation rates in deeper sediment traps in the Ross Sea suggest that sinking particles in the water column cannot simply result from dust input at the surface. This discrepancy can be best explained by significant upwelling and remobilization of lithogenic Fe from the sea floor.