Articles | Volume 10, issue 8
Biogeosciences, 10, 5517–5531, 2013
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-5517-2013
© Author(s) 2013. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Biogeosciences, 10, 5517–5531, 2013
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-5517-2013
© Author(s) 2013. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Research article
16 Aug 2013
Research article
| 16 Aug 2013
Autonomous, high-resolution observations of particle flux in the oligotrophic ocean
M. L. Estapa et al.
Related authors
No articles found.
Elena Ceballos-Romero, Ken O. Buesseler, and María Villa-Alfageme
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 2639–2679, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-2639-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-2639-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Thorium-234 is widely used for studying the removal rate of material on sinking particles from the upper ocean and for determining the downward flux of carbon. In this study, we present a compilation of the 50 years of 234Th measurements in the ocean and provide a broad overview of the character of the datasets. This provides a valuable resource useful to better understand and quantify how the contemporary oceanic carbon uptake functions and how it will change in future.
Darren Craig McKee, Scott C. Doney, Alice Della Penna, Emmanuel S. Boss, Peter Gaube, Michael J. Behrenfeld, and David M. Glover
Biogeosciences Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2022-103, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2022-103, 2022
Preprint under review for BG
Short summary
Short summary
Since phytoplankton (small, drifting photosynthetic organisms) drift with ocean currents, biomass accumulation rates should be evaluated in a Lagrangian (observer moves with a fluid parcel) as opposed to Eulerian (observer is stationary) framework. Here we use profiling floats and surface drifters combined with satellite data to analyze time and length scales of chlorophyll concentrations (a proxy for biomass) and of velocity to quantify how phytoplankton variability is related to water motion.
Rainer Kiko, Marc Picheral, David Antoine, Marcel Babin, Léo Berline, Tristan Biard, Emmanuel Boss, Peter Brandt, Francois Carlotti, Svenja Christiansen, Laurent Coppola, Leandro de la Cruz, Emilie Diamond-Riquier, Xavier Durrieu de Madron, Amanda Elineau, Gabriel Gorsky, Lionel Guidi, Helena Hauss, Jean-Olivier Irisson, Lee Karp-Boss, Johannes Karstensen, Dong-gyun Kim, Rachel M. Lekanoff, Fabien Lombard, Rubens M. Lopes, Claudie Marec, Andrew M. P. McDonnell, Daniela Niemeyer, Margaux Noyon, Stephanie H. O'Daly, Mark Ohman, Jessica L. Pretty, Andreas Rogge, Sarah Searson, Masashi Shibata, Yuji Tanaka, Toste Tanhua, Jan Taucher, Emilia Trudnowska, Jessica S. Turner, Anya Waite, and Lars Stemmann
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2022-51, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2022-51, 2022
Revised manuscript under review for ESSD
Short summary
Short summary
The term "marine particles" comprises detrital aggregates, fecal pellets, but also bacterio-, phyto-, zooplankton and even fish. Here we present a global dataset that contains 8805 vertical particle size distribution profiles obtained with Underwater Vision Profiler 5 (UVP5) camera systems. This data is valuable to the scientific community as it can be used to constrain important biogeochemical processes in the Ocean, such as the flux of carbon to the deep sea.
Emilio Marañón, France Van Wambeke, Julia Uitz, Emmanuel S. Boss, Céline Dimier, Julie Dinasquet, Anja Engel, Nils Haëntjens, María Pérez-Lorenzo, Vincent Taillandier, and Birthe Zäncker
Biogeosciences, 18, 1749–1767, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-1749-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-1749-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
The concentration of chlorophyll is commonly used as an indicator of the abundance of photosynthetic plankton (phytoplankton) in lakes and oceans. Our study investigates why a deep chlorophyll maximum, located near the bottom of the upper, illuminated layer develops in the Mediterranean Sea. We find that the acclimation of cells to low light is the main mechanism involved and that this deep maximum represents also a maximum in the biomass and carbon fixation activity of phytoplankton.
Fei Chai, Yuntao Wang, Xiaogang Xing, Yunwei Yan, Huijie Xue, Mark Wells, and Emmanuel Boss
Biogeosciences, 18, 849–859, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-849-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-849-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
The unique observations by a Biogeochemical Argo float in the NW Pacific Ocean captured the impact of a super typhoon on upper-ocean physical and biological processes. Our result reveals typhoons can increase the surface chlorophyll through strong vertical mixing without bringing nutrients upward from the depth. The vertical redistribution of chlorophyll contributes little to enhance the primary production, which is contradictory to many former satellite-based studies related to this topic.
Kimberly A. Casey, Cecile S. Rousseaux, Watson W. Gregg, Emmanuel Boss, Alison P. Chase, Susanne E. Craig, Colleen B. Mouw, Rick A. Reynolds, Dariusz Stramski, Steven G. Ackleson, Annick Bricaud, Blake Schaeffer, Marlon R. Lewis, and Stéphane Maritorena
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 12, 1123–1139, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-1123-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-1123-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
An increase in spectral resolution in forthcoming remote-sensing missions will improve our ability to understand and characterize aquatic ecosystems. We organize and provide a global compilation of high spectral resolution inherent and apparent optical property data from polar, midlatitude, and equatorial open-ocean, estuary, coastal, and inland waters. The data are intended to aid in development of remote-sensing data product algorithms and to perform calibration and validation activities.
Emanuele Organelli, Marie Barbieux, Hervé Claustre, Catherine Schmechtig, Antoine Poteau, Annick Bricaud, Emmanuel Boss, Nathan Briggs, Giorgio Dall'Olmo, Fabrizio D'Ortenzio, Edouard Leymarie, Antoine Mangin, Grigor Obolensky, Christophe Penkerc'h, Louis Prieur, Collin Roesler, Romain Serra, Julia Uitz, and Xiaogang Xing
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 9, 861–880, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-9-861-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-9-861-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
Autonomous robotic platforms such as Biogeochemical-Argo floats allow observation of the ocean, from the surface to the interior, in a new and systematic way. A fleet of 105 of these platforms have collected several biological, biogeochemical, and optical variables in still unexplored regions. The quality-controlled databases presented here will enable scientists to improve knowledge on the functioning of marine ecosystems and investigate the climatic implications.
Xiang Gong, Wensheng Jiang, Linhui Wang, Huiwang Gao, Emmanuel Boss, Xiaohong Yao, Shuh-Ji Kao, and Jie Shi
Biogeosciences, 14, 2371–2386, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-2371-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-2371-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
The subsurface chlorophyll maximum layer (SCML) forms near the nitracline. By incorporating a piecewise function for the approximate Gaussian vertical profile of chlorophyll, we derive analytical solutions of a specified nutrient–phytoplankton model. Nitracline depth is deeper than SCML depth, and a thinner SCML corresponds to a steeper nitracline. A higher light attenuation coefficient leads to a shallower but steeper nitracline. Nitracline steepness is independent of surface light intensity.
E. E. Black and K. O. Buesseler
Biogeosciences, 11, 5123–5137, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-5123-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-5123-2014, 2014
T. P. Guilderson, S. J. Tumey, T. A. Brown, and K. O. Buesseler
Biogeosciences, 11, 4839–4852, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-4839-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-4839-2014, 2014
J. Kameník, H. Dulaiova, K.O. Buesseler, S. M. Pike, and K. Št'astná
Biogeosciences, 10, 6045–6052, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-6045-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-6045-2013, 2013
P. P. Povinec, M. Aoyama, D. Biddulph, R. Breier, K. Buesseler, C. C. Chang, R. Golser, X. L. Hou, M. Ješkovský, A. J. T. Jull, J. Kaizer, M. Nakano, H. Nies, L. Palcsu, L. Papp, M. K. Pham, P. Steier, and L. Y. Zhang
Biogeosciences, 10, 5481–5496, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-5481-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-5481-2013, 2013
I. I. Rypina, S. R. Jayne, S. Yoshida, A. M. Macdonald, E. Douglass, and K. Buesseler
Biogeosciences, 10, 4973–4990, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-4973-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-4973-2013, 2013
N. Casacuberta, P. Masqué, J. Garcia-Orellana, R. Garcia-Tenorio, and K.O. Buesseler
Biogeosciences, 10, 3649–3659, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-3649-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-3649-2013, 2013
M. A. Charette, C. F. Breier, P. B. Henderson, S. M. Pike, I. I. Rypina, S. R. Jayne, and K. O. Buesseler
Biogeosciences, 10, 2159–2167, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-2159-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-2159-2013, 2013
Related subject area
Biogeochemistry: Open Ocean
Early winter barium excess in the southern Indian Ocean as an annual remineralisation proxy (GEOTRACES GIPr07 cruise)
Controlling factors on the global distribution of a representative marine non-cyanobacterial diazotroph phylotype (Gamma A)
Summer trends and drivers of sea surface fCO2 and pH changes observed in the southern Indian Ocean over the last two decades (1998–2019)
Global nutrient cycling by commercially targeted marine fish
Major processes of the dissolved cobalt cycle in the North and equatorial Pacific Ocean
The impact of the South-East Madagascar Bloom on the oceanic CO2 sink
Nitrite regeneration in the oligotrophic Atlantic Ocean
Bridging the gaps between particulate backscattering measurements and modeled particulate organic carbon in the ocean
Biological production in two contrasted regions of the Mediterranean Sea during the oligotrophic period: an estimate based on the diel cycle of optical properties measured by BioGeoChemical-Argo profiling floats
Acidification of the Nordic Seas
Reconstruction of global surface ocean pCO2 using region-specific predictors based on a stepwise FFNN regression algorithm
Biogeochemical controls on ammonium accumulation in the surface layer of the Southern Ocean
Oxygen export to the deep ocean following Labrador Sea Water formation
N2 fixation in the Mediterranean Sea related to the composition of the diazotrophic community and impact of dust under present and future environmental conditions
Dissolution of a submarine carbonate platform by a submerged lake of acidic seawater
Seasonal flux patterns and carbon transport from low-oxygen eddies at the Cape Verde Ocean Observatory: lessons learned from a time series sediment trap study (2009–2016)
Subsurface iron accumulation and rapid aluminum removal in the Mediterranean following African dust deposition
Long-distance particle transport to the central Ionian Sea
Deep chlorophyll maximum and nutricline in the Mediterranean Sea: emerging properties from a multi-platform assimilated biogeochemical model experiment
Phosphorus cycling in the upper waters of the Mediterranean Sea (PEACETIME cruise): relative contribution of external and internal sources
Fast local warming is the main driver of recent deoxygenation in the northern Arabian Sea
Influence of atmospheric deposition on biogeochemical cycles in an oligotrophic ocean system
Impact of dust addition on the metabolism of Mediterranean plankton communities and carbon export under present and future conditions of pH and temperature
Comparing CLE-AdCSV applications using SA and TAC to determine the Fe-binding characteristics of model ligands in seawater
Impact of dust addition on Mediterranean plankton communities under present and future conditions of pH and temperature: an experimental overview
Reviews and syntheses: Trends in primary production in the Bay of Bengal – is it at a tipping point?
Incorporating the stable carbon isotope 13C in the ocean biogeochemical component of the Max Planck Institute Earth System Model
Seasonal cycling of zinc and cobalt in the south-eastern Atlantic along the GEOTRACES GA10 section
Carbon export and fate beneath a dynamic upwelled filament off the California coast
Contrasted release of insoluble elements (Fe, Al, rare earth elements, Th, Pa) after dust deposition in seawater: a tank experiment approach
On the barium–oxygen consumption relationship in the Mediterranean Sea: implications for mesopelagic marine snow remineralization
Compound high-temperature and low-chlorophyll extremes in the ocean over the satellite period
Can machine learning extract the mechanisms controlling phytoplankton growth from large-scale observations? – A proof-of-concept study
Reviews and syntheses: The biogeochemical cycle of silicon in the modern ocean
Oxygen budget of the north-western Mediterranean deep- convection region
Cross-basin differences in the nutrient assimilation characteristics of induced phytoplankton blooms in the subtropical Pacific waters
Dynamics of the deep chlorophyll maximum in the Black Sea as depicted by BGC-Argo floats
Nitrate assimilation and regeneration in the Barents Sea: insights from nitrate isotopes
Assimilating synthetic Biogeochemical-Argo and ocean colour observations into a global ocean model to inform observing system design
Southern Ocean Biogeochemical Argo detect under-ice phytoplankton growth before sea ice retreat
A new intermittent regime of convective ventilation threatens the Black Sea oxygenation status
Reviews and syntheses: Present, past, and future of the oxygen minimum zone in the northern Indian Ocean
Particulate rare earth element behavior in the North Atlantic (GEOVIDE cruise)
Elevated sources of cobalt in the Arctic Ocean
Increase in ocean acidity variability and extremes under increasing atmospheric CO2
Can ocean community production and respiration be determined by measuring high-frequency oxygen profiles from autonomous floats?
Assessing the value of biogeochemical Argo profiles versus ocean color observations for biogeochemical model optimization in the Gulf of Mexico
The Southern Annular Mode (SAM) influences phytoplankton communities in the seasonal ice zone of the Southern Ocean
Profiling float observation of thermohaline staircases in the western Mediterranean Sea and impact on nutrient fluxes
Ocean carbonate system variability in the North Atlantic Subpolar surface water (1993–2017)
Natasha René van Horsten, Hélène Planquette, Géraldine Sarthou, Thomas James Ryan-Keogh, Nolwenn Lemaitre, Thato Nicholas Mtshali, Alakendra Roychoudhury, and Eva Bucciarelli
Biogeosciences, 19, 3209–3224, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3209-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3209-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
The remineralisation proxy, barite, was measured along 30°E in the southern Indian Ocean during early austral winter. To our knowledge this is the first reported Southern Ocean winter study. Concentrations throughout the water column were comparable to observations during spring to autumn. By linking satellite primary production to this proxy a possible annual timescale is proposed. These findings also suggest possible carbon remineralisation from satellite data on a basin scale.
Zhibo Shao and Ya-Wei Luo
Biogeosciences, 19, 2939–2952, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2939-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2939-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Non-cyanobacterial diazotrophs (NCDs) may be an important player in fixing N2 in the ocean. By conducting meta-analyses, we found that a representative marine NCD phylotype, Gamma A, tends to inhabit ocean environments with high productivity, low iron concentration and high light intensity. It also appears to be more abundant inside cyclonic eddies. Our study suggests a niche differentiation of NCDs from cyanobacterial diazotrophs as the latter prefers low-productivity and high-iron oceans.
Coraline Leseurre, Claire Lo Monaco, Gilles Reverdin, Nicolas Metzl, Jonathan Fin, Claude Mignon, and Léa Benito
Biogeosciences, 19, 2599–2625, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2599-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2599-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Decadal trends of fugacity of CO2 (fCO2), total alkalinity (AT), total carbon (CT) and pH in surface waters are investigated in different domains of the southern Indian Ocean (45°S–57°S) from ongoing and station observations regularly conducted in summer over the period 1998–2019. The fCO2 increase and pH decrease are mainly driven by anthropogenic CO2 estimated just below the summer mixed layer, as well as by a warming south of the polar front or in the fertilized waters near Kerguelen Island.
Priscilla Le Mézo, Jérôme Guiet, Kim Scherrer, Daniele Bianchi, and Eric Galbraith
Biogeosciences, 19, 2537–2555, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2537-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2537-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
This study quantifies the role of commercially targeted fish biomass in the cycling of three important nutrients (N, P, and Fe), relative to nutrients otherwise available in water and to nutrients required by primary producers, and the impact of fishing. We use a model of commercially targeted fish biomass constrained by fish catch and stock assessment data to assess the contributions of fish at the global scale, at the time of the global peak catch and prior to industrial fishing.
Rebecca Chmiel, Nathan Lanning, Allison Laubach, Jong-Mi Lee, Jessica Fitzsimmons, Mariko Hatta, William Jenkins, Phoebe Lam, Matthew McIlvin, Alessandro Tagliabue, and Mak Saito
Biogeosciences, 19, 2365–2395, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2365-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2365-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Dissolved cobalt is present in trace amounts in seawater and is a necessary nutrient for marine microbes. On a transect from the Alaskan coast to Tahiti, we measured seawater concentrations of dissolved cobalt. Here, we describe several interesting features of the Pacific cobalt cycle including cobalt sources along the Alaskan coast and Hawaiian vents, deep-ocean particle formation, cobalt activity in low-oxygen regions, and how our samples compare to a global biogeochemical model’s predictions.
Nicolas Metzl, Claire Lo Monaco, Coraline Leseurre, Céline Ridame, Jonathan Fin, Claude Mignon, Marion Gehlen, and Thi Tuyet Trang Chau
Biogeosciences, 19, 1451–1468, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1451-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1451-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
During an oceanographic cruise conducted in January 2020 in the south-western Indian Ocean, we observed very low CO2 concentrations associated with a strong phytoplankton bloom that occurred south-east of Madagascar. This biological event led to a strong regional CO2 ocean sink not previously observed.
Darren R. Clark, Andrew P. Rees, Charissa M. Ferrera, Lisa Al-Moosawi, Paul J. Somerfield, Carolyn Harris, Graham D. Quartly, Stephen Goult, Glen Tarran, and Gennadi Lessin
Biogeosciences, 19, 1355–1376, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1355-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1355-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Measurements of microbial processes were made in the sunlit open ocean during a research cruise (AMT19) between the UK and Chile. These help us to understand how microbial communities maintain the function of remote ecosystems. We find that the nitrogen cycling microbes which produce nitrite respond to changes in the environment. Our insights will aid the development of models that aim to replicate and ultimately project how marine environments may respond to ongoing climate change.
Martí Galí, Marcus Falls, Hervé Claustre, Olivier Aumont, and Raffaele Bernardello
Biogeosciences, 19, 1245–1275, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1245-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1245-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Part of the organic matter produced by plankton in the upper ocean is exported to the deep ocean. This process, known as the biological carbon pump, is key for the regulation of atmospheric carbon dioxide and global climate. However, the dynamics of organic particles below the upper ocean layer are not well understood. Here we compared the measurements acquired by autonomous robots in the top 1000 m of the ocean to a numerical model, which can help improve future climate projections.
Marie Barbieux, Julia Uitz, Alexandre Mignot, Collin Roesler, Hervé Claustre, Bernard Gentili, Vincent Taillandier, Fabrizio D'Ortenzio, Hubert Loisel, Antoine Poteau, Edouard Leymarie, Christophe Penkerc'h, Catherine Schmechtig, and Annick Bricaud
Biogeosciences, 19, 1165–1194, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1165-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1165-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
This study assesses marine biological production in two Mediterranean systems representative of vast desert-like (oligotrophic) areas encountered in the global ocean. We use a novel approach based on non-intrusive high-frequency in situ measurements by two profiling robots, the BioGeoChemical-Argo (BGC-Argo) floats. Our results indicate substantial yet variable production rates and contribution to the whole water column of the subsurface layer, typically considered steady and non-productive.
Filippa Fransner, Friederike Fröb, Jerry Tjiputra, Nadine Goris, Siv K. Lauvset, Ingunn Skjelvan, Emil Jeansson, Abdirahman Omar, Melissa Chierici, Elizabeth Jones, Agneta Fransson, Sólveig R. Ólafsdóttir, Truls Johannessen, and Are Olsen
Biogeosciences, 19, 979–1012, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-979-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-979-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Ocean acidification, a direct consequence of the CO2 release by human activities, is a serious threat to marine ecosystems. In this study, we conduct a detailed investigation of the acidification of the Nordic Seas, from 1850 to 2100, by using a large set of samples taken during research cruises together with numerical model simulations. We estimate the effects of changes in different environmental factors on the rate of acidification and its potential effects on cold-water corals.
Guorong Zhong, Xuegang Li, Jinming Song, Baoxiao Qu, Fan Wang, Yanjun Wang, Bin Zhang, Xiaoxia Sun, Wuchang Zhang, Zhenyan Wang, Jun Ma, Huamao Yuan, and Liqin Duan
Biogeosciences, 19, 845–859, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-845-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-845-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
A predictor selection algorithm was constructed to decrease the predicting error in the surface ocean partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) mapping by finding better combinations of pCO2 predictors in different regions. Compared with previous research using the same combination of predictors in all regions, using different predictors selected by the algorithm in different regions can effectively decrease pCO2 predicting errors.
Shantelle Smith, Katye E. Altieri, Mhlangabezi Mdutyana, David R. Walker, Ruan G. Parrott, Sedick Gallie, Kurt A. M. Spence, Jessica M. Burger, and Sarah E. Fawcett
Biogeosciences, 19, 715–741, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-715-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-715-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Ammonium is a crucial yet poorly understood component of the Southern Ocean nitrogen cycle. We attribute our finding of consistently high ammonium concentrations in the winter mixed layer to limited ammonium consumption and sustained ammonium production, conditions under which the Southern Ocean becomes a source of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. From similar data collected over an annual cycle, we propose a seasonal cycle for ammonium in shallow polar waters – a first for the Southern Ocean.
Jannes Koelling, Dariia Atamanchuk, Johannes Karstensen, Patricia Handmann, and Douglas W. R. Wallace
Biogeosciences, 19, 437–454, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-437-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-437-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
In this study, we investigate oxygen variability in the deep western boundary current in the Labrador Sea from multiyear moored records. We estimate that about half of the oxygen taken up in the interior Labrador Sea by air–sea gas exchange during deep water formation is exported southward the same year. Our results underline the complexity of the oxygen uptake and export in the Labrador Sea and highlight the important role this region plays in supplying oxygen to the deep ocean.
Céline Ridame, Julie Dinasquet, Søren Hallstrøm, Estelle Bigeard, Lasse Riemann, France Van Wambeke, Matthieu Bressac, Elvira Pulido-Villena, Vincent Taillandier, Fréderic Gazeau, Antonio Tovar-Sanchez, Anne-Claire Baudoux, and Cécile Guieu
Biogeosciences, 19, 415–435, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-415-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-415-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We show that in the Mediterranean Sea spatial variability in N2 fixation is related to the diazotrophic community composition reflecting different nutrient requirements among species. Nutrient supply by Saharan dust is of great importance to diazotrophs, as shown by the strong stimulation of N2 fixation after a simulated dust event under present and future climate conditions; the magnitude of stimulation depends on the degree of limitation related to the diazotrophic community composition.
Matthew P. Humphreys, Erik H. Meesters, Henk de Haas, Szabina Karancz, Louise Delaigue, Karel Bakker, Gerard Duineveld, Siham de Goeyse, Andreas F. Haas, Furu Mienis, Sharyn Ossebaar, and Fleur C. van Duyl
Biogeosciences, 19, 347–358, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-347-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-347-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
A series of submarine sinkholes were recently discovered on Luymes Bank, part of Saba Bank, a carbonate platform in the Caribbean Netherlands. Here, we investigate the waters inside these sinkholes for the first time. One of the sinkholes contained a body of dense, low-oxygen and low-pH water, which we call the
acid lake. We use measurements of seawater chemistry to work out what processes were responsible for forming the acid lake and discuss the consequences for the carbonate platform.
Gerhard Fischer, Oscar E. Romero, Johannes Karstensen, Karl-Heinz Baumann, Nasrollah Moradi, Morten Iversen, Götz Ruhland, Marco Klann, and Arne Körtzinger
Biogeosciences, 18, 6479–6500, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-6479-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-6479-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Low-oxygen eddies in the eastern subtropical North Atlantic can form an oasis for phytoplankton growth. Here we report on particle flux dynamics at the oligotrophic Cape Verde Ocean Observatory. We observed consistent flux patterns during the passages of low-oxygen eddies. We found distinct flux peaks in late winter, clearly exceeding background fluxes. Our findings suggest that the low-oxygen eddies sequester higher organic carbon than expected for oligotrophic settings.
Matthieu Bressac, Thibaut Wagener, Nathalie Leblond, Antonio Tovar-Sánchez, Céline Ridame, Vincent Taillandier, Samuel Albani, Sophie Guasco, Aurélie Dufour, Stéphanie H. M. Jacquet, François Dulac, Karine Desboeufs, and Cécile Guieu
Biogeosciences, 18, 6435–6453, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-6435-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-6435-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Phytoplankton growth is limited by the availability of iron in about 50 % of the ocean. Atmospheric deposition of desert dust represents a key source of iron. Here, we present direct observations of dust deposition in the Mediterranean Sea. A key finding is that the input of iron from dust primarily occurred in the deep ocean, while previous studies mainly focused on the ocean surface. This new insight will enable us to better represent controls on global marine productivity in models.
Léo Berline, Andrea Michelangelo Doglioli, Anne Petrenko, Stéphanie Barrillon, Boris Espinasse, Frederic A. C. Le Moigne, François Simon-Bot, Melilotus Thyssen, and François Carlotti
Biogeosciences, 18, 6377–6392, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-6377-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-6377-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
While the Ionian Sea is considered a nutrient-depleted and low-phytoplankton biomass area, it is a crossroad for water mass circulation. In the central Ionian Sea, we observed a strong contrast in particle distribution across a ~100 km long transect. Using remote sensing and Lagrangian simulations, we suggest that this contrast finds its origin in the long-distance transport of particles from the north, west and east of the Ionian Sea, where phytoplankton production was more intense.
Anna Teruzzi, Giorgio Bolzon, Laura Feudale, and Gianpiero Cossarini
Biogeosciences, 18, 6147–6166, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-6147-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-6147-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
During summer, maxima of phytoplankton chlorophyll concentration (DCM) occur in the subsurface of the Mediterranean Sea and can play a relevant role in carbon sequestration into the ocean interior. A numerical model based on in situ and satellite observations provides insights into the range of DCM conditions across the relatively small Mediterranean Sea and shows a western DCM that is 25 % shallower and with a higher phytoplankton chlorophyll concentration than in the eastern Mediterranean.
Elvira Pulido-Villena, Karine Desboeufs, Kahina Djaoudi, France Van Wambeke, Stéphanie Barrillon, Andrea Doglioli, Anne Petrenko, Vincent Taillandier, Franck Fu, Tiphanie Gaillard, Sophie Guasco, Sandra Nunige, Sylvain Triquet, and Cécile Guieu
Biogeosciences, 18, 5871–5889, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-5871-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-5871-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We report on phosphorus dynamics in the surface layer of the Mediterranean Sea. Highly sensitive phosphate measurements revealed vertical gradients above the phosphacline. The relative contribution of diapycnal fluxes to total external supply of phosphate to the mixed layer decreased towards the east, where atmospheric deposition dominated. Taken together, external sources of phosphate contributed little to total supply, which was mainly sustained by enzymatic hydrolysis of organic phosphorus.
Zouhair Lachkar, Michael Mehari, Muchamad Al Azhar, Marina Lévy, and Shafer Smith
Biogeosciences, 18, 5831–5849, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-5831-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-5831-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
This study documents and quantifies a significant recent oxygen decline in the upper layers of the Arabian Sea and explores its drivers. Using a modeling approach we show that the fast local warming of sea surface is the main factor causing this oxygen drop. Concomitant summer monsoon intensification contributes to this trend, although to a lesser extent. These changes exacerbate oxygen depletion in the subsurface, threatening marine habitats and altering the local biogeochemistry.
France Van Wambeke, Vincent Taillandier, Karine Desboeufs, Elvira Pulido-Villena, Julie Dinasquet, Anja Engel, Emilio Marañón, Céline Ridame, and Cécile Guieu
Biogeosciences, 18, 5699–5717, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-5699-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-5699-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Simultaneous in situ measurements of (dry and wet) atmospheric deposition and biogeochemical stocks and fluxes in the sunlit waters of the open Mediterranean Sea revealed complex physical and biological processes occurring within the mixed layer. Nitrogen (N) budgets were computed to compare the sources and sinks of N in the mixed layer. The transitory effect observed after a wet dust deposition impacted the microbial food web down to the deep chlorophyll maximum.
Frédéric Gazeau, France Van Wambeke, Emilio Marañón, Maria Pérez-Lorenzo, Samir Alliouane, Christian Stolpe, Thierry Blasco, Nathalie Leblond, Birthe Zäncker, Anja Engel, Barbara Marie, Julie Dinasquet, and Cécile Guieu
Biogeosciences, 18, 5423–5446, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-5423-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-5423-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Our study shows that the impact of dust deposition on primary production depends on the initial composition and metabolic state of the tested community and is constrained by the amount of nutrients added, to sustain both the fast response of heterotrophic prokaryotes and the delayed one of phytoplankton. Under future environmental conditions, heterotrophic metabolism will be more impacted than primary production, therefore reducing the capacity of surface waters to sequester anthropogenic CO2.
Loes J. A. Gerringa, Martha Gledhill, Indah Ardiningsih, Niels Muntjewerf, and Luis M. Laglera
Biogeosciences, 18, 5265–5289, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-5265-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-5265-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
For 3 decades, competitive ligand exchange–adsorptive cathodic stripping voltammetry was used to estimate the Fe-binding capacity of organic matter in seawater. In this paper the performance of the competing ligands is compared through the analysis of a series of model ligands.
The main finding of this paper is that the determined speciation parameters are not independent of the application, making interpretation of Fe speciation data more complex than it was thought before.
Frédéric Gazeau, Céline Ridame, France Van Wambeke, Samir Alliouane, Christian Stolpe, Jean-Olivier Irisson, Sophie Marro, Jean-Michel Grisoni, Guillaume De Liège, Sandra Nunige, Kahina Djaoudi, Elvira Pulido-Villena, Julie Dinasquet, Ingrid Obernosterer, Philippe Catala, and Cécile Guieu
Biogeosciences, 18, 5011–5034, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-5011-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-5011-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
This paper shows that the impacts of Saharan dust deposition in different Mediterranean basins are as strong as those observed in coastal waters but differed substantially between the three tested stations, differences attributed to variable initial metabolic states. A stronger impact of warming and acidification on mineralization suggests a decreased capacity of Mediterranean surface communities to sequester CO2 following the deposition of atmospheric particles in the coming decades.
Carolin R. Löscher
Biogeosciences, 18, 4953–4963, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-4953-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-4953-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
The Bay of Bengal (BoB) is classically seen as an ocean region with low primary production, which has been predicted to decrease even further. Here, the importance of such a trend is used to explore what could happen to the BoB's low-oxygen core waters if primary production decreases. Lower biological production leads to less oxygen loss in deeper waters by respiration; thus it could be that oxygen will not further decrease and the BoB will not become anoxic, different to other low-oxygen areas.
Bo Liu, Katharina D. Six, and Tatiana Ilyina
Biogeosciences, 18, 4389–4429, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-4389-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-4389-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We incorporate a new representation of the stable carbon isotope 13C in a global ocean biogeochemistry model. The model well reproduces the present-day 13C observations. We find a recent observation-based estimate of the oceanic 13C Suess effect (the decrease in 13C/12C ratio due to uptake of anthropogenic CO2; 13CSE) possibly underestimates 13CSE by 0.1–0.26 per mil. The new model will aid in better understanding the past ocean state via comparison to 13C/12C measurements from sediment cores.
Neil J. Wyatt, Angela Milne, Eric P. Achterberg, Thomas J. Browning, Heather A. Bouman, E. Malcolm S. Woodward, and Maeve C. Lohan
Biogeosciences, 18, 4265–4280, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-4265-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-4265-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Using data collected during two expeditions to the South Atlantic Ocean, we investigated how the interaction between external sources and biological activity influenced the availability of the trace metals zinc and cobalt. This is important as both metals play essential roles in the metabolism and growth of phytoplankton and thus influence primary productivity of the oceans. We found seasonal changes in both processes that helped explain upper-ocean trace metal cycling.
Hannah L. Bourne, James K. B. Bishop, Elizabeth J. Connors, and Todd J. Wood
Biogeosciences, 18, 3053–3086, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3053-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3053-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
To learn how the biological carbon pump works in productive coastal upwelling systems, four autonomous carbon flux explorers measured carbon flux through the twilight zone beneath an offshore-flowing filament of biologically productive water. Strikingly different particle classes dominated the carbon fluxes during successive stages of the filament evolution over 30 d. Both flux and transfer efficiency were far greater than expected, suggesting an outsized filament impact in California waters.
Matthieu Roy-Barman, Lorna Foliot, Eric Douville, Nathalie Leblond, Fréderic Gazeau, Matthieu Bressac, Thibaut Wagener, Céline Ridame, Karine Desboeufs, and Cécile Guieu
Biogeosciences, 18, 2663–2678, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-2663-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-2663-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
The release of insoluble elements such as aluminum (Al), iron (Fe), rare earth elements (REEs), thorium (Th) and protactinium (Pa) when Saharan dust falls over the Mediterranean Sea was studied during tank experiments under present and future climate conditions. Each element exhibited different dissolution kinetics and dissolution fractions (always lower than a few percent). Changes in temperature and/or pH under greenhouse conditions lead to a lower Th release and a higher light REE release.
Stéphanie H. M. Jacquet, Dominique Lefèvre, Christian Tamburini, Marc Garel, Frédéric A. C. Le Moigne, Nagib Bhairy, and Sophie Guasco
Biogeosciences, 18, 2205–2212, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-2205-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-2205-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We present new data concerning the relation between biogenic barium (Baxs, a tracer of carbon remineralization at mesopelagic depths), O2 consumption and prokaryotic heterotrophic production (PHP) in the Mediterranean Sea. The purpose of this paper is to improve our understanding of the relation between Baxs, PHP and O2 and to test the validity of the Dehairs transfer function in the Mediterranean Sea. This relation has never been tested in the Mediterranean Sea.
Natacha Le Grix, Jakob Zscheischler, Charlotte Laufkötter, Cecile S. Rousseaux, and Thomas L. Frölicher
Biogeosciences, 18, 2119–2137, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-2119-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-2119-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Marine ecosystems could suffer severe damage from the co-occurrence of a marine heat wave with extremely low chlorophyll concentration. Here, we provide a first assessment of compound marine heat wave and
low-chlorophyll events in the global ocean from 1998 to 2018. We reveal hotspots of these compound events in the equatorial Pacific and in the Arabian Sea and show that they mostly occur in summer at high latitudes and their frequency is modulated by large-scale modes of climate variability.
Christopher Holder and Anand Gnanadesikan
Biogeosciences, 18, 1941–1970, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-1941-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-1941-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
A challenge for marine ecologists in studying phytoplankton is linking small-scale relationships found in a lab to broader relationships observed on large scales in the environment. We investigated whether machine learning (ML) could help connect these small- and large-scale relationships. ML was able to provide qualitative information about the small-scale processes from large-scale information. This method could help identify important relationships from observations in future research.
Paul J. Tréguer, Jill N. Sutton, Mark Brzezinski, Matthew A. Charette, Timothy Devries, Stephanie Dutkiewicz, Claudia Ehlert, Jon Hawkings, Aude Leynaert, Su Mei Liu, Natalia Llopis Monferrer, María López-Acosta, Manuel Maldonado, Shaily Rahman, Lihua Ran, and Olivier Rouxel
Biogeosciences, 18, 1269–1289, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-1269-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-1269-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Silicon is the second most abundant element of the Earth's crust. In this review, we show that silicon inputs and outputs, to and from the world ocean, are 57 % and 37 % higher, respectively, than previous estimates. These changes are significant, modifying factors such as the geochemical residence time of silicon, which is now about 8000 years and 2 times faster than previously assumed. We also update the total biogenic silica pelagic production and provide an estimate for sponge production.
Caroline Ulses, Claude Estournel, Marine Fourrier, Laurent Coppola, Fayçal Kessouri, Dominique Lefèvre, and Patrick Marsaleix
Biogeosciences, 18, 937–960, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-937-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-937-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We analyse the seasonal cycle of O2 and estimate an annual O2 budget in the north-western Mediterranean deep-convection region, using a numerical model. We show that this region acts as a large sink of atmospheric O2 and as a major source of O2 for the western Mediterranean Sea. The decrease in the deep convection intensity predicted in recent projections may have important consequences on the overall uptake of O2 in the Mediterranean Sea and on the O2 exchanges with the Atlantic Ocean.
Fuminori Hashihama, Hiroaki Saito, Taketoshi Kodama, Saori Yasui-Tamura, Jota Kanda, Iwao Tanita, Hiroshi Ogawa, E. Malcolm S. Woodward, Philip W. Boyd, and Ken Furuya
Biogeosciences, 18, 897–915, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-897-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-897-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We investigated the nutrient assimilation characteristics of deep-water-induced phytoplankton blooms across the subtropical North and South Pacific Ocean. Nutrient drawdown ratios of dissolved inorganic nitrogen to phosphate were anomalously low in the western North Pacific, likely due to the high phosphate uptake capability of low-phosphate-adapted phytoplankton. The anomalous phosphate uptake might influence the maintenance of chronic phosphate depletion in the western North Pacific.
Florian Ricour, Arthur Capet, Fabrizio D'Ortenzio, Bruno Delille, and Marilaure Grégoire
Biogeosciences, 18, 755–774, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-755-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-755-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
This paper addresses the phenology of the deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM) in the Black Sea (BS). We show that the DCM forms in March at a density level set by the winter mixed layer. It maintains this location until June, suggesting an influence of the DCM on light and nutrient profiles rather than mere adaptation to external factors. In summer, the DCM concentrates ~55 % of the chlorophyll in a 10 m layer at ~35 m depth and should be considered a major feature of the BS phytoplankton dynamics.
Robyn E. Tuerena, Joanne Hopkins, Raja S. Ganeshram, Louisa Norman, Camille de la Vega, Rachel Jeffreys, and Claire Mahaffey
Biogeosciences, 18, 637–653, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-637-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-637-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
The Barents Sea is a rapidly changing shallow sea within the Arctic. Here, nitrate, an essential nutrient, is fully consumed by algae in surface waters during summer months. Nitrate is efficiently regenerated in the Barents Sea, and there is no evidence for nitrogen loss from the sediments by denitrification, which is prevalent on other Arctic shelves. This suggests that nitrogen availability in the Barents Sea is largely determined by the supply of nutrients in water masses from the Atlantic.
David Ford
Biogeosciences, 18, 509–534, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-509-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-509-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Biogeochemical-Argo floats are starting to routinely measure ocean chlorophyll, nutrients, oxygen, and pH. This study generated synthetic observations representing two potential Biogeochemical-Argo observing system designs and created a data assimilation scheme to combine them with an ocean model. The proposed system of 1000 floats brought clear benefits to model results, with additional floats giving further benefit. Existing satellite ocean colour observations gave complementary information.
Mark Hague and Marcello Vichi
Biogeosciences, 18, 25–38, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-25-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-25-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
This paper examines the question of what causes the rapid spring growth of microscopic marine algae (phytoplankton) in the ice-covered ocean surrounding Antarctica. One prominent hypothesis proposes that the melting of sea ice is the primary cause, while our results suggest that this is only part of the explanation. In particular, we show that phytoplankton are able to start growing before the sea ice melts appreciably, much earlier than previously thought.
Arthur Capet, Luc Vandenbulcke, and Marilaure Grégoire
Biogeosciences, 17, 6507–6525, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-6507-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-6507-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
The Black Sea is 2000 m deep, but, due to limited ventilation, only about the upper 100 m contains enough oxygen to support marine life such as fish. This oxygenation depth has been shown to be decreasing (1955–2019). Here, we evidence that atmospheric warming induced a clear shift in an important ventilation mechanism. We highlight the impact of this shift on oxygenation. There are important implications for marine life and carbon and nutrient cycling if this new ventilation regime persists.
Tim Rixen, Greg Cowie, Birgit Gaye, Joaquim Goes, Helga do Rosário Gomes, Raleigh R. Hood, Zouhair Lachkar, Henrike Schmidt, Joachim Segschneider, and Arvind Singh
Biogeosciences, 17, 6051–6080, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-6051-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-6051-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
The northern Indian Ocean hosts an extensive oxygen minimum zone (OMZ), which intensified due to human-induced global changes. This includes the occurrence of anoxic events on the Indian shelf and affects benthic ecosystems and the pelagic ecosystem structure in the Arabian Sea. Consequences for biogeochemical cycles are unknown, which, in addition to the poor representation of mesoscale features, reduces the reliability of predictions of the future OMZ development in the northern Indian Ocean.
Marion Lagarde, Nolwenn Lemaitre, Hélène Planquette, Mélanie Grenier, Moustafa Belhadj, Pascale Lherminier, and Catherine Jeandel
Biogeosciences, 17, 5539–5561, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-5539-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-5539-2020, 2020
Randelle M. Bundy, Alessandro Tagliabue, Nicholas J. Hawco, Peter L. Morton, Benjamin S. Twining, Mariko Hatta, Abigail E. Noble, Mattias R. Cape, Seth G. John, Jay T. Cullen, and Mak A. Saito
Biogeosciences, 17, 4745–4767, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4745-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4745-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Cobalt (Co) is an essential nutrient for ocean microbes and is scarce in most areas of the ocean. This study measured Co concentrations in the Arctic Ocean for the first time and found that Co levels are extremely high in the surface waters of the Canadian Arctic. Although the Co primarily originates from the shelf, the high concentrations persist throughout the central Arctic. Co in the Arctic appears to be increasing over time and might be a source of Co to the North Atlantic.
Friedrich A. Burger, Jasmin G. John, and Thomas L. Frölicher
Biogeosciences, 17, 4633–4662, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4633-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4633-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Ensemble simulations of an Earth system model reveal that ocean acidity extremes have increased in the past few decades and are projected to increase further in terms of frequency, intensity, duration, and volume extent. The increase is not only caused by the long-term ocean acidification due to the uptake of anthropogenic CO2, but also due to changes in short-term variability. The increase in ocean acidity extremes may enhance the risk of detrimental impacts on marine organisms.
Christopher Gordon, Katja Fennel, Clark Richards, Lynn K. Shay, and Jodi K. Brewster
Biogeosciences, 17, 4119–4134, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4119-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4119-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
We describe a method for correcting errors in oxygen optode measurements on autonomous platforms in the ocean. The errors result from the relatively slow response time of the sensor. The correction method includes an in situ determination of the effective response time and requires the time stamps of the individual measurements. It is highly relevant for the BGC-Argo program and also applicable to gliders. We also explore if diurnal changes in oxygen can be obtained from profiling floats.
Bin Wang, Katja Fennel, Liuqian Yu, and Christopher Gordon
Biogeosciences, 17, 4059–4074, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4059-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4059-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
We assess trade-offs between different types of biological observations, specifically satellite ocean color and BGC-Argo profiles and the benefits of combining both for optimizing a biogeochemical model of the Gulf of Mexico. Using all available observations leads to significant improvements in observed and unobserved variables (including primary production and C export). Our results highlight the significant benefits of BGC-Argo measurements for biogeochemical model optimization and validation.
Bruce L. Greaves, Andrew T. Davidson, Alexander D. Fraser, John P. McKinlay, Andrew Martin, Andrew McMinn, and Simon W. Wright
Biogeosciences, 17, 3815–3835, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-3815-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-3815-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
We observed that variation in the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) over 11 years showed a relationship with the species composition of hard-shelled phytoplankton in the seasonal ice zone (SIZ) of the Southern Ocean. Phytoplankton in the SIZ are productive during the southern spring and summer when the area is ice-free, with production feeding most Antarctic life. The SAM is known to be increasing with climate change, and changes in phytoplankton in the SIZ may have implications for higher life forms.
Vincent Taillandier, Louis Prieur, Fabrizio D'Ortenzio, Maurizio Ribera d'Alcalà, and Elvira Pulido-Villena
Biogeosciences, 17, 3343–3366, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-3343-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-3343-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
This study addresses the role played by vertical diffusion in the nutrient enrichment of the Levantine intermediate waters, a process particularly relevant inside thermohaline staircases. Thanks to a high profiling frequency over a 4-year period, BGC-Argo float observations reveal the temporal continuity of the layering patterns encountered during the cruise PEACETIME and their impact on vertical and lateral transfers of nitrate between the deep reservoir and the surface productive zone.
Coraline Leseurre, Claire Lo Monaco, Gilles Reverdin, Nicolas Metzl, Jonathan Fin, Solveig Olafsdottir, and Virginie Racapé
Biogeosciences, 17, 2553–2577, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-2553-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-2553-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
In this study, we investigate the evolution of CO2 uptake and ocean acidification in the North Atlantic Subpolar surface water. Our results show an important reduction in the capacity of the ocean to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere (1993–2007), due to a rapid increase in the fCO2 and associated with a rapid decrease in pH. Conversely, data obtained during the last decade (2008–2017) show a stagnation of fCO2 (increasing the ocean sink for CO2) and pH.
Cited articles
Benitez-Nelson, C. R. and Moore, W. S.: Future applications of 234Th in aquatic ecosystems, Mar. Chem., 100, 163–165, 2006.
Bishop, J. K. B.: Transmissometer measurement of POC, Deep-Sea Res. Pt. I, 46, 353–369, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0967-0637(98)00069-7, 1999.
Bishop, J. K. B.: Autonomous observations of the ocean biological carbon pump, Oceanography, 22, 182–193, 2009.
Bishop, J. K. B. and Wood, T. J.: Particulate matter chemistry and dynamics in the twilight zone at VERTIGO ALOHA and K2 sites, Deep-Sea Res. Pt. I, 55, 1684–1706, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2008.07.012, 2008.
Bishop, J. K. B. and Wood, T. J.: Autonomous exploration of carbon flux sedimentation in the twilight zone, Ocean Sciences Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT, 2012.
Bishop, J. K. B., Wood, T. J., Davis, R. A., and Sherman, J. T.: Robotic Observations of Enhanced Carbon Biomass and Export at 55 S During SOFeX, Science, 304, 417–420, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1087717, 2004.
Boss, E. and Pegau, W. S.: The relationship of light scattering at an angle in the backward direction to the backscattering coefficient, Appl. Optics, 40, 5503–5507, 2001.
Boss, E., Slade, W. H., Behrenfeld, M., and Dall'Olmo, G.: Acceptance angle effects on the beam attenuation in the ocean, Opt. Express, 17, 1535–1550, 2009a.
Boss, E., Slade, W., and Hill, P.: Effect of particulate aggregation in aquatic environments on the beam attenuation and its utility as a proxy for particulate mass, Opt. Express, 17, 9408–9420, 2009b.
Briggs, N., Perry, M. J., Cetinic, I., Lee, C., D'Asaro, E., Gray, A. M. and Rehm, E.: High-resolution observations of aggregate flux during a sub-polar North Atlantic spring bloom, Deep-Sea Res. Pt. I, 58, 1031–1039, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2011.07.007, 2011.
Buesseler, K. O. and Boyd, P. W.: Shedding light on processes that control particle export and flux attenuation in the twilight zone of the open ocean, Limnol. Oceanogr., 54, 1210–1232, 2009.
Buesseler, K. O., Bacon, M. P., Kirk Cochran, J., and Livingston, H. D.: Carbon and nitrogen export during the JGOFS North Atlantic Bloom Experiment estimated from 234Th: 238U disequilibria, Deep-Sea Res., 39, 1115–1137, 1992.
Buesseler, K. O., Pike, S., Maiti, K., Lamborg, C. H., Siegel, D. A., and Trull, T. W.: Thorium-234 as a tracer of spatial, temporal and vertical variability in particle flux in the North Pacific, Deep-Sea Res. Pt. I, 56, 1143–1167, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2009.04.001, 2009.
Burd, A. B., Hansell, D. A., Steinberg, D. K., Anderson, T. R., Arístegui, J., Baltar, F., Beaupré, S. R., Buesseler, K. O., DeHairs, F., Jackson, G. A., Kadko, D. C., Koppelmann, R., Lampitt, R. S., Nagata, T., Reinthaler, T., Robinson, C., Robison, B. H., Tamburini, C., and Tanaka, T.: Assessing the apparent imbalance between geochemical and biochemical indicators of meso- and bathypelagic biological activity: What the @$$\sharp $! is wrong with present calculations of carbon budgets?, Deep-Sea Res. Pt. II, 57, 1557–1571, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2010.02.022, 2010.
Calil, P. H. R. and Richards, K. J.: Transient upwelling hot spots in the oligotrophic North Pacific, J. Geophys. Res., 115, C02003, https://doi.org/10.1029/2009JC005360, 2010.
Cetinić, I., Perry, M. J., Briggs, N. T., Kallin, E., D'Asaro, E. A., and Lee, C. M.: Particulate organic carbon and inherent optical properties during 2008 North Atlantic Bloom Experiment, J. Geophys. Res., 117, C06028, https://doi.org/10.1029/2011JC007771, 2012.
Conte, M. H., Ralph, N., and Ross, E. H.: Seasonal and interannual variability in deep ocean particle fluxes at the Oceanic Flux Program (OFP)/Bermuda Atlantic Time Series (BATS) site in the western Sargasso Sea near Bermuda, Deep-Sea Res. Pt. II, 48, 1471–1505, 2001.
Emerson, S., Quay, P., Karl, D., Winn, C., Tupas, L., and Landry, M.: Experimental determination of the organic carbon flux from open-ocean surface waters, Nature, 389, 951–954, https://doi.org/10.1038/40111, 1997.
Gardner, W. D., Mishonov, A. V., and Richardson, M. J.: Global POC concentrations from in-situ and satellite data, Deep-Sea Res. Pt. II, 53, 718–740, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2006.01.029, 2006.
Gregg, M. C.: Diapycnal mixing in the thermocline: A review, J. Geophys. Res.-Oceans, 92, 5249–5286, https://doi.org/10.1029/JC092iC05p05249, 1987.
Henson, S. A., Sanders, R., and Madsen, E.: Global patterns in efficiency of particulate organic carbon export and transfer to the deep ocean, Global Biogeochem. Cy., 26, GB1028, https://doi.org/10.1029/2011GB004099, 2012.
Honjo, S., Manganini, S. J., Krishfield, R. A., and Francois, R.: Particulate organic carbon fluxes to the ocean interior and factors controlling the biological pump: A synthesis of global sediment trap programs since 1983, Progr. Oceanogr., 76, 217–285, 2008.
Karl, D. M. and Knauer, G. A.: Swimmers: A recapitulation of the problem and a potential solution, Oceanography, 2, 32–35, 1989.
Karl, D. M. and Lukas, R.: The Hawaii Ocean Time-series (HOT) program: Background, rationale and field implementation, Deep-Sea Res. Pt. II, 43, 129–156, 1996.
Karl, D. M., Winn, C. D., Hebel, D. V. W., and Letelier, R.: Hawaii Ocean Time-Series Program field and laboratory protocols, 1990.
Karl, D. M., Church, M. J., Dore, J. E., Letelier, R. M., and Mahaffey, C.: Predictable and efficient carbon sequestration in the North Pacific Ocean supported by symbiotic nitrogen fixation, P. Natl. Acad. Sci., 109, 1842–1849, 2012.
Knap, A. H., Michaels, A. F., Steinberg, D. K., Bahr, F., Bates, N. R., Bell, S., Countway, P., Close, A., Doyle, A., Howse, F., Gundersen, K., Johnson, R. J., Little, R., Orcutt, K., Parsons, R., Rathbun, C., Sanderson, M., and Stone, S.: BATS Methods Manual, US JGOFS Planning Office, Woods Hole, 1997.
Knauer, G. A., Martin, J. H., and Bruland, K. W.: Fluxes of particulate carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus in the upper water column of the northeast Pacific, Deep-Sea Res., 26, 97–108, 1979.
Lee, C., Wakeham, S. G., and Hedges, J. I.: The measurement of oceanic particle flux – are "swimmers" a problem?, Oceanography, 11, 34–36, 1988.
Martin, J. H., Knauer, G. A., Karl, D. M., and Broenkow, W. W.: VERTEX: carbon cycling in the northeast Pacific, Deep-Sea Res., 34, 267–285, 1987.
McDonnell, A. M. P. and Buesseler, K. O.: A new method for the estimation of sinking particle fluxes from measurements of the particle size distribution, average sinking velocity, and carbon content, Limnol. Oceanogr.-Methods, 10, 329–346, 2012.
Michaels, A. F., Bates, N. R., Buesseler, K. O., Carlson, C. A., and Knap, A. H.: Carbon-cycle imbalances in the Sargasso Sea, Nature, 372, 537–540, 1994.
Osborn, T. R.: Estimates of the Local Rate of Vertical Diffusion from Dissipation Measurements, J. Phys. Oceanogr., 10, 83–89, 1980.
Proctor, C. W. and Roesler, C. S.: New insights on obtaining phytoplankton concentration and composition from in situ multispectral Chlorophyll fluorescence, Limnol. Oceanogr.-Methods, 8, 695–708, 2010.
Resplandy, L., Martin, A. P., Le Moigne, F., Martin, P., Aquilina, A., Mémery, L., Lévy, M., and Sanders, R.: How does dynamical spatial variability impact 234Th-derived estimates of organic export?, Deep-Sea Res. Pt. I, 68, 24–45, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2012.05.015, 2012.
Siegel, D. A., Fields, E., and Buesseler, K. O.: A bottom-up view of the biological pump: Modeling source funnels above ocean sediment traps, Deep-Sea Res. Pt. I, 55, 108–127, 2008.
Steinberg, D. K., Carlson, C. A., Bates, N. R., Johnson, R. J., Michaels, A. F., and Knap, A. H.: Overview of the US JGOFS Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS): a decade-scale look at ocean biology and biogeochemistry, Deep-Sea Res. Pt. II, 48, 1405–1447, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0967-0645(00)00148-X, 2001.
Tennekes, H. and Lumley, J. L.: First Course in Turbulence, MIT Press, 1972.
Van de Hulst, H. C.: Light scattering by small particles, John Wiley and Sons, New York, 1957.
Wunsch, C. and Ferrari, R.: Vertical mixing, energy, and the general circulation of the oceans, Annu. Rev. Fluid Mech., 36, 281–314, 2004.
Zhang, X., Hu, L., and He, M.-X.: Scattering by pure seawater: Effect of salinity, Opt. Express, 17, 5698–5710, 2009.
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint