Articles | Volume 14, issue 14
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-3471-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-3471-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Research article
| 
24 Jul 2017
Research article |
| 24 Jul 2017
The fate of a southwest Pacific bloom: gauging the impact of submesoscale vs. mesoscale circulation on biological gradients in the subtropics
Alain de Verneil
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Aix Marseille University, Université de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography MIO, UM 110, 13288, Marseille, CEDEX 09, France
Louise Rousselet
Aix Marseille University, Université de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography MIO, UM 110, 13288, Marseille, CEDEX 09, France
Andrea M. Doglioli
Aix Marseille University, Université de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography MIO, UM 110, 13288, Marseille, CEDEX 09, France
Anne A. Petrenko
Aix Marseille University, Université de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography MIO, UM 110, 13288, Marseille, CEDEX 09, France
Thierry Moutin
Aix Marseille University, Université de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography MIO, UM 110, 13288, Marseille, CEDEX 09, France
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The western tropical South Pacific was sampled along a longitudinal 4000 km transect (OUTPACE cruise) for the measurement of carbonate parameters (total alkalinity and total inorganic carbon) between the Melanesian Archipelago and the western part of the South Pacific gyre. This paper reports this new dataset and derived properties. We also estimate anthropogenic carbon distribution in the water column using the TrOCA method.
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In the context of the OUTPACE cruise and THOT project in the western South Pacific Ocean, we use individual float trajectories in order to understand the intermediate-flow dynamics, from 300 to 1000 m depth. We highlight two main features: exchanges of water between parallel jets entering the Coral Sea through eddies and intermediate-wave influence of the currents in the frontal area connecting the Antarctic intermediate water (AAIW) and North Pacific deep water (NPDW) masses.
Thierry Moutin, Thibaut Wagener, Mathieu Caffin, Alain Fumenia, Audrey Gimenez, Melika Baklouti, Pascale Bouruet-Aubertot, Mireille Pujo-Pay, Karine Leblanc, Dominique Lefevre, Sandra Helias Nunige, Nathalie Leblond, Olivier Grosso, and Alain de Verneil
Biogeosciences, 15, 2961–2989, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-2961-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-2961-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Surface waters of the western tropical South Pacific were sampled along a longitudinal 4000 km transect during the stratified period between the Melanesian Archipelago and the western part of the South Pacific gyre. We found a significant biological carbon pump sustained almost exclusively by N2 fixation and essentially controlled by phosphate availability in the iron-rich Melanesian Archipelago waters which appears to be a net sink for atmospheric CO2 while the gyre is in a quasi-steady state.
France Van Wambeke, Audrey Gimenez, Solange Duhamel, Cécile Dupouy, Dominique Lefevre, Mireille Pujo-Pay, and Thierry Moutin
Biogeosciences, 15, 2669–2689, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-2669-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-2669-2018, 2018
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The western tropical South Pacific Ocean has recently been shown to be a hotspot for biological nitrogen fixation. In this study, we examined the horizontal and vertical distribution of heterotrophic prokaryotic production alongside photosynthetic rates, nitrogen fixation rates and phosphate turnover times across the western tropical South Pacific Ocean, in order to relate these fluxes to bottom–up controls (related to nitrogen, phosphate and labile C availability).
Angela N. Knapp, Kelly M. McCabe, Olivier Grosso, Nathalie Leblond, Thierry Moutin, and Sophie Bonnet
Biogeosciences, 15, 2619–2628, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-2619-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-2619-2018, 2018
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The spatial distribution of biological N2 fixation fluxes to the ocean remains poorly constrained. Here we use nitrogen isotope budgets to identify significant N2 fixation inputs to the western tropical South Pacific (WTSP), where N2 fixation supports > 50 % of export production at stations proximal to iron sources. The significant N2 fixation inputs in the WTSP may offset nitrogen loss in the oxygen-deficient zones of the eastern tropical South Pacific.
Mathieu Caffin, Thierry Moutin, Rachel Ann Foster, Pascale Bouruet-Aubertot, Andrea Michelangelo Doglioli, Hugo Berthelot, Cécile Guieu, Olivier Grosso, Sandra Helias-Nunige, Nathalie Leblond, Audrey Gimenez, Anne Alexandra Petrenko, Alain de Verneil, and Sophie Bonnet
Biogeosciences, 15, 2565–2585, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-2565-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-2565-2018, 2018
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Louise Rousselet, Alain de Verneil, Andrea M. Doglioli, Anne A. Petrenko, Solange Duhamel, Christophe Maes, and Bruno Blanke
Biogeosciences, 15, 2411–2431, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-2411-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-2411-2018, 2018
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Alain de Verneil, Louise Rousselet, Andrea M. Doglioli, Anne A. Petrenko, Christophe Maes, Pascale Bouruet-Aubertot, and Thierry Moutin
Biogeosciences, 15, 2125–2147, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-2125-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-2125-2018, 2018
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Pierre Marrec, Gérald Grégori, Andrea M. Doglioli, Mathilde Dugenne, Alice Della Penna, Nagib Bhairy, Thierry Cariou, Sandra Hélias Nunige, Soumaya Lahbib, Gilles Rougier, Thibaut Wagener, and Melilotus Thyssen
Biogeosciences, 15, 1579–1606, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-1579-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-1579-2018, 2018
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The objective of this study was to better understand the variability of the phytoplankton community structure in small physical structures at the surface of the ocean. After identifying such a structure in the Mediterranean Sea, we deployed cutting-edge physical and biological sensors in order to observe at a high frequency the dynamics of this structure. From these observations we described the variations of the phytoplankton community structure and how the physics controls this variability.
Alain Fumenia, Thierry Moutin, Sophie Bonnet, Mar Benavides, Anne Petrenko, Sandra Helias Nunige, and Christophe Maes
Biogeosciences Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2017-557, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2017-557, 2018
Revised manuscript not accepted
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The Melanesian archipelago waters between 160° E and 170° W are characterized by a significant N2 fixation rates and an excess of particulate organic nitrogen compared to the canonical ratio of Redfield and a positive N*. We hypothesize that the southern branch of the subtropical gyre is probably the main vector of excess nitrogen transport in the thermocline waters showing an influence of nitrogen fixation occurring in the western tropical in a large part of the South Pacific.
Thierry Moutin, Andrea Michelangelo Doglioli, Alain de Verneil, and Sophie Bonnet
Biogeosciences, 14, 3207–3220, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-3207-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-3207-2017, 2017
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Audrey Gimenez, Melika Baklouti, Sophie Bonnet, and Thierry Moutin
Biogeosciences, 13, 5103–5120, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-5103-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-5103-2016, 2016
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In the context of the VAHINE mesocosm experiment in the Nouméa lagoon (New Caledonia), a 1-D vertical biogeochemical mechanistic model was used together with the in situ experiment to complement our comprehension of the planktonic ecosystem dynamics and the main biogeochemical carbon, nitrogen and phosphate fluxes. The model also showed the fate of fixed N2 by providing, over time, the proportion of diazotroph-derived nitrogen (DDN) in each compartment (mineral and organic) of the model.
Angela N. Knapp, Sarah E. Fawcett, Alfredo Martínez-Garcia, Nathalie Leblond, Thierry Moutin, and Sophie Bonnet
Biogeosciences, 13, 4645–4657, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-4645-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-4645-2016, 2016
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The goal of this manuscript was to track the fate of newly fixed nitrogen (N) in large volume mesocosms in the coastal waters of New Caledonia. We used a N isotope ("δ15N") budget and found a shift in the δ15N of sinking particulate N over the 23-day experiment, indicating that nitrate supported export production at the beginning of the experiment, but that nitrogen fixation supported export at the end. We infer that nitrogen fixation supported export production by a release of dissolved N.
Ilana Berman-Frank, Dina Spungin, Eyal Rahav, France Van Wambeke, Kendra Turk-Kubo, and Thierry Moutin
Biogeosciences, 13, 3793–3805, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-3793-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-3793-2016, 2016
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In the marine environment, sticky sugar-containing gels, termed transparent exopolymeric particles (TEP), are produced from biological sources and physical and chemical processes. These compounds are essential vectors enhancing downward flow of organic matter and its storage at depth. Spatial and temporal dynamics of TEPs were followed for 23 days during the VAHINE mesocosm experiment that investigated the fate of nitrogen and carbon derived from organisms fixing atmospheric N2 (diazotrophs).
France Van Wambeke, Ulrike Pfreundt, Aude Barani, Hugo Berthelot, Thierry Moutin, Martine Rodier, Wolfgang R. Hess, and Sophie Bonnet
Biogeosciences, 13, 3187–3202, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-3187-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-3187-2016, 2016
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The phytoplankton is at the base of the plankton food web in large parts of oceanic "deserts" such as the South Pacific Ocean, where nitrogen sources limit activity. Mesocosms were fertilized with phosphorus to stimulate diazotrophy (atmospheric N2 fixation). Mostly diazotroph-derived nitrogen fuelled the heterotrophic bacterial community through indirect processes generating dissolved organic matter and detritus, such as mortality, lysis and grazing of both diazotrophs and non-diazotrophs.
Sophie Bonnet, Thierry Moutin, Martine Rodier, Jean-Michel Grisoni, Francis Louis, Eric Folcher, Bertrand Bourgeois, Jean-Michel Boré, and Armelle Renaud
Biogeosciences, 13, 2803–2814, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-2803-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-2803-2016, 2016
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e main goal of the VAHINE project was to study the fate of N2 fixation in the ocean. Three large-volume (~ 50 m3) mesocosms were deployed in a tropical oligotrophic ecosystem (the New Caledonia lagoon, south-eastern Pacific). This introductory paper describes the scientific objectives of the project in detail as well as the implementation plan: the mesocosm description and deployment, the selection of the study site, and the logistical and sampling strategy.
A. Guyennon, M. Baklouti, F. Diaz, J. Palmieri, J. Beuvier, C. Lebaupin-Brossier, T. Arsouze, K. Béranger, J.-C. Dutay, and T. Moutin
Biogeosciences, 12, 7025–7046, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-7025-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-7025-2015, 2015
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Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) has already been identified as a potentially significant source of carbon export in the Mediterranean Sea, though in situ export estimations are scarce. This work provides a thorough analysis at basin scale of carbon export with the coupled model NEMO-MED12/Eco3M-MED model. The seasonality and the processes of particulate and dissolved carbon production are also investigated. DOC export appears to be dominant in most regions, especially in the eastern basin.
H. Berthelot, T. Moutin, S. L'Helguen, K. Leblanc, S. Hélias, O. Grosso, N. Leblond, B. Charrière, and S. Bonnet
Biogeosciences, 12, 4099–4112, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-4099-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-4099-2015, 2015
A. Talarmin, F. Van Wambeke, P. Lebaron, and T. Moutin
Biogeosciences, 12, 1237–1247, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-1237-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-1237-2015, 2015
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Along a transect in the warm nutrient-depleted Mediterranean Sea, we found that microorganisms shared phosphate resources by using different uptake strategies. Heterotrophic prokaryotes dominated phosphate uptake in the upper layers while cyanobacteria dominated uptake fluxes around the deep chlorophyll maximum depth. Synechococcus seemed well equipped to respond to pulses of phosphate, whereas Prochlorococcus and heterotrophs were more adapted to very low concentrations.
Related subject area
Biogeochemistry: Open Ocean
Assessing the impact of CO2-equilibrated ocean alkalinity enhancement on microbial metabolic rates in an oligotrophic system
Phosphomonoesterase and phosphodiesterase activities in the eastern Mediterranean in two contrasting seasonal situations
Net primary production annual maxima in the North Atlantic projected to shift in the 21st century
Testing the influence of light on nitrite cycling in the eastern tropical North Pacific
Loss of nitrogen via anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) in the California Current system during the late Quaternary
Technical note: Assessment of float pH data quality control methods – a case study in the subpolar northwest Atlantic Ocean
Effects of grain size and seawater salinity on magnesium hydroxide dissolution and secondary calcium carbonate precipitation kinetics: implications for ocean alkalinity enhancement
Linking northeastern North Pacific oxygen changes to upstream surface outcrop variations
Short-term response of Emiliania huxleyi growth and morphology to abrupt salinity stress
Underestimation of multi-decadal global O2 loss due to an optimal interpolation method
Reviews and syntheses: expanding the global coverage of gross primary production and net community production measurements using Biogeochemical-Argo floats
Characteristics of surface physical and biogeochemical parameters within mesoscale eddies in the Southern Ocean
Climatic Controls on Metabolic Constraints in the Ocean
Seasonal dynamics and annual budget of dissolved inorganic carbon in the northwestern Mediterranean deep-convection region
The fingerprint of climate variability on the surface ocean cycling of iron and its isotopes
Reconstructing the ocean's mesopelagic zone carbon budget: sensitivity and estimation of parameters associated with prokaryotic remineralization
Evolution of oxygen and stratification in the North Pacific Ocean in CMIP6 Earth System Models
Seasonal cycles of biogeochemical fluxes in the Scotia Sea, Southern Ocean: a stable isotope approach
Biological impact of ocean alkalinity enhancement of magnesium hydroxide on marine microalgae using bioassays simulating ship-based dispersion
Decadal changes of anthropogenic carbon in the Atlantic 1990–2010
Absence of photophysiological response to iron addition in autumn phytoplankton in the Antarctic sea-ice zone
Optimal parameters for the ocean's nutrient, carbon, and oxygen cycles compensate for circulation biases but replumb the biological pump
Importance of multiple sources of iron for the upper-ocean biogeochemistry over the northern Indian Ocean
Exploring the role of different data types and timescales in the quality of marine biogeochemical model calibration
All about nitrite: exploring nitrite sources and sinks in the eastern tropical North Pacific oxygen minimum zone
Fossil coccolith morphological attributes as a new proxy for deep ocean carbonate chemistry
Reconstructing ocean carbon storage with CMIP6 Earth system models and synthetic Argo observations
Using machine learning and Biogeochemical-Argo (BGC-Argo) floats to assess biogeochemical models and optimize observing system design
The representation of alkalinity and the carbonate pump from CMIP5 to CMIP6 Earth system models and implications for the carbon cycle
Model estimates of metazoans' contributions to the biological carbon pump
Tracing differences in iron supply to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge valley between hydrothermal vent sites: implications for the addition of iron to the deep ocean
Nitrite cycling in the primary nitrite maxima of the eastern tropical North Pacific
Hotspots and drivers of compound marine heatwaves and low net primary production extremes
Ecosystem impacts of marine heat waves in the northeast Pacific
Tracing the role of Arctic shelf processes in Si and N cycling and export through the Fram Strait: insights from combined silicon and nitrate isotopes
Controls on the relative abundances and rates of nitrifying microorganisms in the ocean
The response of diazotrophs to nutrient amendment in the South China Sea and western North Pacific
Influence of GEOTRACES data distribution and misfit function choice on objective parameter retrieval in a marine zinc cycle model
Physiological flexibility of phytoplankton impacts modelled chlorophyll and primary production across the North Pacific Ocean
Observation-constrained estimates of the global ocean carbon sink from Earth system models
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
Laura Marín-Samper, Javier Arístegui, Nauzet Hernández-Hernández, Joaquín Ortiz, Stephen D. Archer, Andrea Ludwig, and Ulf Riebesell
Biogeosciences, 21, 2859–2876, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2859-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2859-2024, 2024
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Our planet is facing a climate crisis. Scientists are working on innovative solutions that will aid in capturing the hard to abate emissions before it is too late. Exciting research reveals that ocean alkalinity enhancement, a key climate change mitigation strategy, does not harm phytoplankton, the cornerstone of marine ecosystems. Through meticulous study, we may have uncovered a positive relationship: up to a specific limit, enhancing ocean alkalinity boosts photosynthesis by certain species.
France Van Wambeke, Pascal Conan, Mireille Pujo-Pay, Vincent Taillandier, Olivier Crispi, Alexandra Pavlidou, Sandra Nunige, Morgane Didry, Christophe Salmeron, and Elvira Pulido-Villena
Biogeosciences, 21, 2621–2640, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2621-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2621-2024, 2024
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Phosphomonoesterase (PME) and phosphodiesterase (PDE) activities over the epipelagic zone are described in the eastern Mediterranean Sea in winter and autumn. The types of concentration kinetics obtained for PDE (saturation at 50 µM, high Km, high turnover times) compared to those of PME (saturation at 1 µM, low Km, low turnover times) are discussed in regard to the possible inequal distribution of PDE and PME in the size continuum of organic material and accessibility to phosphodiesters.
Jenny Hieronymus, Magnus Hieronymus, Matthias Gröger, Jörg Schwinger, Raffaele Bernadello, Etienne Tourigny, Valentina Sicardi, Itzel Ruvalcaba Baroni, and Klaus Wyser
Biogeosciences, 21, 2189–2206, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2189-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2189-2024, 2024
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The timing of the net primary production annual maxima in the North Atlantic in the period 1750–2100 is investigated using two Earth system models and the high-emissions scenario SSP5-8.5. It is found that, for most of the region, the annual maxima occur progressively earlier, with the most change occurring after the year 2000. Shifts in the seasonality of the primary production may impact the entire ecosystem, which highlights the need for long-term monitoring campaigns in this area.
Nicole M. Travis, Colette L. Kelly, and Karen L. Casciotti
Biogeosciences, 21, 1985–2004, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-1985-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-1985-2024, 2024
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We conducted experimental manipulations of light level on microbial communities from the primary nitrite maximum. Overall, while individual microbial processes have different directions and magnitudes in their response to increasing light, the net community response is a decline in nitrite production with increasing light. We conclude that while increased light may decrease net nitrite production, high-light conditions alone do not exclude nitrification from occurring in the surface ocean.
Zoë Rebecca van Kemenade, Zeynep Erdem, Ellen Christine Hopmans, Jaap Smede Sinninghe Damsté, and Darci Rush
Biogeosciences, 21, 1517–1532, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-1517-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-1517-2024, 2024
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The California Current system (CCS) hosts the eastern subtropical North Pacific oxygen minimum zone (ESTNP OMZ). This study shows anaerobic ammonium oxidizing (anammox) bacteria cause a loss of bioavailable nitrogen (N) in the ESTNP OMZ throughout the late Quaternary. Anammox occurred during both glacial and interglacial periods and was driven by the supply of organic matter and changes in ocean currents. These findings may have important consequences for biogeochemical models of the CCS.
Cathy Wimart-Rousseau, Tobias Steinhoff, Birgit Klein, Henry Bittig, and Arne Körtzinger
Biogeosciences, 21, 1191–1211, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-1191-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-1191-2024, 2024
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The marine CO2 system can be measured independently and continuously by BGC-Argo floats since numerous pH sensors have been developed to suit these autonomous measurements platforms. By applying the Argo correction routines to float pH data acquired in the subpolar North Atlantic Ocean, we report the uncertainty and lack of objective criteria associated with the choice of the reference method as well the reference depth for the pH correction.
Charly Andre Moras, Tyler Cyronak, Lennart Thomas Bach, Renaud Joannes-Boyau, and Kai Georg Schulz
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-645, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-645, 2024
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We investigate the effects of mineral grain size and seawater salinity on magnesium hydroxide dissolution and calcium carbonate precipitation kinetics for ocean alkalinity enhancement. Salinity did not affect the dissolution, but calcium carbonate formed earlier at lower salinities due to the lower magnesium and dissolved organic carbon concentrations. Smaller grain size dissolved faster, but calcium carbonate precipitated earlier, suggesting that medium grain size is optimum for both kinetics.
Sabine Mecking and Kyla Drushka
Biogeosciences, 21, 1117–1133, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-1117-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-1117-2024, 2024
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This study investigates whether northeastern North Pacific oxygen changes may be caused by surface density changes in the northwest as water moves along density horizons from the surface into the subsurface ocean. A correlation is found with a lag that about matches the travel time of water from the northwest to the northeast. Salinity is the main driver causing decadal changes in surface density, whereas salinity and temperature contribute about equally to long-term declining density trends.
Rosie M. Sheward, Christina Gebühr, Jörg Bollmann, and Jens O. Herrle
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-349, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-349, 2024
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How quickly do marine microorganisms respond to salinity stress? Our experiments with the calcifying marine plankton Emiliania huxleyi show that growth and cell morphology responded to salinity stress within as little as 24–48 hours, demonstrating that morphology and calcification is sensitive to salinity over a range of timescales. Our results have implications for understanding the short-term role of E. huxleyi in biogeochemical cycles and size-based paleoproxies for salinity.
Takamitsu Ito, Hernan E. Garcia, Zhankun Wang, Shoshiro Minobe, Matthew C. Long, Just Cebrian, James Reagan, Tim Boyer, Christopher Paver, Courtney Bouchard, Yohei Takano, Seth Bushinsky, Ahron Cervania, and Curtis A. Deutsch
Biogeosciences, 21, 747–759, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-747-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-747-2024, 2024
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This study aims to estimate how much oceanic oxygen has been lost and its uncertainties. One major source of uncertainty comes from the statistical gap-filling methods. Outputs from Earth system models are used to generate synthetic observations where oxygen data are extracted from the model output at the location and time of historical oceanographic cruises. Reconstructed oxygen trend is approximately two-thirds of the true trend.
Robert W. Izett, Katja Fennel, Adam C. Stoer, and David P. Nicholson
Biogeosciences, 21, 13–47, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-13-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-13-2024, 2024
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This paper provides an overview of the capacity to expand the global coverage of marine primary production estimates using autonomous ocean-going instruments, called Biogeochemical-Argo floats. We review existing approaches to quantifying primary production using floats, provide examples of the current implementation of the methods, and offer insights into how they can be better exploited. This paper is timely, given the ongoing expansion of the Biogeochemical-Argo array.
Qian Liu, Yingjie Liu, and Xiaofeng Li
Biogeosciences, 20, 4857–4874, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4857-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4857-2023, 2023
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In the Southern Ocean, abundant eddies behave opposite to our expectations. That is, anticyclonic (cyclonic) eddies are cold (warm). By investigating the variations of physical and biochemical parameters in eddies, we find that abnormal eddies have unique and significant effects on modulating the parameters. This study fills a gap in understanding the effects of abnormal eddies on physical and biochemical parameters in the Southern Ocean.
Precious Mongwe, Matthew Long, Takamitsu Ito, Curtis Deutsch, and Yeray Santana-Falcón
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-2822, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-2822, 2023
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We use a collection of measurements that captures the physiological sensitivity of organisms to temperature and oxygen, and a model to investigate how natural climate variations and climate warming will impact the ability of marine heterotrophic marine organisms to support habitat in the future. We find that warming and the related loss of marine dissolved oxygen over the next several decades will reduce the volume of ocean habitat, and increasing vulnerability to temperature-oxygen extremes.
Caroline Ulses, Claude Estournel, Patrick Marsaleix, Karline Soetaert, Marine Fourrier, Laurent Coppola, Dominique Lefèvre, Franck Touratier, Catherine Goyet, Véronique Guglielmi, Fayçal Kessouri, Pierre Testor, and Xavier Durrieu de Madron
Biogeosciences, 20, 4683–4710, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4683-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4683-2023, 2023
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Deep convection plays a key role in the circulation, thermodynamics, and biogeochemical cycles in the Mediterranean Sea, considered to be a hotspot of biodiversity and climate change. In this study, we investigate the seasonal and annual budget of dissolved inorganic carbon in the deep-convection area of the northwestern Mediterranean Sea.
Daniela König and Alessandro Tagliabue
Biogeosciences, 20, 4197–4212, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4197-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4197-2023, 2023
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Using model simulations, we show that natural and anthropogenic changes in the global climate leave a distinct fingerprint in the isotopic signatures of iron in the surface ocean. We find that these climate effects on iron isotopes are often caused by the redistribution of iron from different external sources to the ocean, due to changes in ocean currents, and by changes in algal growth, which take up iron. Thus, isotopes may help detect climate-induced changes in iron supply and algal uptake.
Chloé Baumas, Robin Fuchs, Marc Garel, Jean-Christophe Poggiale, Laurent Memery, Frédéric A. C. Le Moigne, and Christian Tamburini
Biogeosciences, 20, 4165–4182, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4165-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4165-2023, 2023
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Through the sink of particles in the ocean, carbon (C) is exported and sequestered when reaching 1000 m. Attempts to quantify C exported vs. C consumed by heterotrophs have increased. Yet most of the conducted estimations have led to C demands several times higher than C export. The choice of parameters greatly impacts the results. As theses parameters are overlooked, non-accurate values are often used. In this study we show that C budgets can be well balanced when using appropriate values.
Lyuba Novi, Annalisa Bracco, Takamitsu Ito, and Yohei Takano
Biogeosciences Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2023-129, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2023-129, 2023
Revised manuscript accepted for BG
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We explored the relationship between oxygen and stratification in the North Pacific Ocean, using a combination of data mining and machine learning. We used isopycnic potential vorticity (IPV) as an indicator to quantify ocean ventilation and we analyzed its predictability, a strong O2-IPV connection and predictability for IPV in the tropical Pacific. This open new routes to monitor ocean O2 through few observational sites co-located with more abundant IPV measurements in the tropical Pacific.
Anna Belcher, Sian F. Henley, Katharine Hendry, Marianne Wootton, Lisa Friberg, Ursula Dallman, Tong Wang, Christopher Coath, and Clara Manno
Biogeosciences, 20, 3573–3591, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3573-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3573-2023, 2023
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The oceans play a crucial role in the uptake of atmospheric carbon dioxide, particularly the Southern Ocean. The biological pumping of carbon from the surface to the deep ocean is key to this. Using sediment trap samples from the Scotia Sea, we examine biogeochemical fluxes of carbon, nitrogen, and biogenic silica and their stable isotope compositions. We find phytoplankton community structure and physically mediated processes are important controls on particulate fluxes to the deep ocean.
Stephanie Delacroix, Tor Jensen Nystuen, Erik Höglund, and Andrew L. King
Biogeosciences Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2023-138, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2023-138, 2023
Revised manuscript accepted for BG
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The addition of alkaline minerals into the oceans might reduce the excessive anthropogenic CO2 emissions. Magnesium hydroxide can be added in large amount because of its low seawater solubility without reaching harmful pH levels. The toxicity effect results of magnesium hydroxide, by simulating expected concentrations from a ships’ dispersion scenario, demonstrated low impacts on both sensitive and local assemblages of marine microalgae when compared to calcium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide.
Reiner Steinfeldt, Monika Rhein, and Dagmar Kieke
Biogeosciences Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2023-113, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2023-113, 2023
Revised manuscript accepted for BG
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We calculate the amount of anthropogenic carbon (Cant) that is stored in the Atlantic Ocean for the years 1990, 2000, 2010. Cant is the carbon that is taken up by the ocean due to the rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations as a result of manmade CO2 emissions. However, most of the carbon in the ocean is natural. In order to determine the amount of Cant, we apply a special technique which is based on the observation of other manmade gases (e.g. CFCs).
Asmita Singh, Susanne Fietz, Sandy J. Thomalla, Nicolas Sanchez, Murat V. Ardelan, Sébastien Moreau, Hanna M. Kauko, Agneta Fransson, Melissa Chierici, Saumik Samanta, Thato N. Mtshali, Alakendra N. Roychoudhury, and Thomas J. Ryan-Keogh
Biogeosciences, 20, 3073–3091, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3073-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3073-2023, 2023
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Despite the scarcity of iron in the Southern Ocean, seasonal blooms occur due to changes in nutrient and light availability. Surprisingly, during an autumn bloom in the Antarctic sea-ice zone, the results from incubation experiments showed no significant photophysiological response of phytoplankton to iron addition. This suggests that ambient iron concentrations were sufficient, challenging the notion of iron deficiency in the Southern Ocean through extended iron-replete post-bloom conditions.
Benoît Pasquier, Mark Holzer, Matthew A. Chamberlain, Richard J. Matear, Nathaniel L. Bindoff, and François W. Primeau
Biogeosciences, 20, 2985–3009, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2985-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2985-2023, 2023
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Modeling the ocean's carbon and oxygen cycles accurately is challenging. Parameter optimization improves the fit to observed tracers but can introduce artifacts in the biological pump. Organic-matter production and subsurface remineralization rates adjust to compensate for circulation biases, changing the pathways and timescales with which nutrients return to the surface. Circulation biases can thus strongly alter the system’s response to ecological change, even when parameters are optimized.
Priyanka Banerjee
Biogeosciences, 20, 2613–2643, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2613-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2613-2023, 2023
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This study shows that atmospheric deposition is the most important source of iron to the upper northern Indian Ocean for phytoplankton growth. This is followed by iron from continental-shelf sediment. Phytoplankton increase following iron addition is possible only with high background levels of nitrate. Vertical mixing is the most important physical process supplying iron to the upper ocean in this region throughout the year. The importance of ocean currents in supplying iron varies seasonally.
Iris Kriest, Julia Getzlaff, Angela Landolfi, Volkmar Sauerland, Markus Schartau, and Andreas Oschlies
Biogeosciences, 20, 2645–2669, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2645-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2645-2023, 2023
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Global biogeochemical ocean models are often subjectively assessed and tuned against observations. We applied different strategies to calibrate a global model against observations. Although the calibrated models show similar tracer distributions at the surface, they differ in global biogeochemical fluxes, especially in global particle flux. Simulated global volume of oxygen minimum zones varies strongly with calibration strategy and over time, rendering its temporal extrapolation difficult.
John C. Tracey, Andrew R. Babbin, Elizabeth Wallace, Xin Sun, Katherine L. DuRussel, Claudia Frey, Donald E. Martocello III, Tyler Tamasi, Sergey Oleynik, and Bess B. Ward
Biogeosciences, 20, 2499–2523, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2499-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2499-2023, 2023
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Nitrogen (N) is essential for life; thus, its availability plays a key role in determining marine productivity. Using incubations of seawater spiked with a rare form of N measurable on a mass spectrometer, we quantified microbial pathways that determine marine N availability. The results show that pathways that recycle N have higher rates than those that result in its loss from biomass and present new evidence for anaerobic nitrite oxidation, a process long thought to be strictly aerobic.
Amanda Gerotto, Hongrui Zhang, Renata Hanae Nagai, Heather M. Stoll, Rubens César Lopes Figueira, Chuanlian Liu, and Iván Hernández-Almeida
Biogeosciences, 20, 1725–1739, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-1725-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-1725-2023, 2023
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Based on the analysis of the response of coccolithophores’ morphological attributes in a laboratory dissolution experiment and surface sediment samples from the South China Sea, we proposed that the thickness shape (ks) factor of fossil coccoliths together with the normalized ks variation, which is the ratio of the standard deviation of ks (σ) over the mean ks (σ/ks), is a robust and novel proxy to reconstruct past changes in deep ocean carbon chemistry.
Katherine E. Turner, Doug M. Smith, Anna Katavouta, and Richard G. Williams
Biogeosciences, 20, 1671–1690, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-1671-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-1671-2023, 2023
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We present a new method for reconstructing ocean carbon using climate models and temperature and salinity observations. To test this method, we reconstruct modelled carbon using synthetic observations consistent with current sampling programmes. Sensitivity tests show skill in reconstructing carbon trends and variability within the upper 2000 m. Our results indicate that this method can be used for a new global estimate for ocean carbon content.
Alexandre Mignot, Hervé Claustre, Gianpiero Cossarini, Fabrizio D'Ortenzio, Elodie Gutknecht, Julien Lamouroux, Paolo Lazzari, Coralie Perruche, Stefano Salon, Raphaëlle Sauzède, Vincent Taillandier, and Anna Teruzzi
Biogeosciences, 20, 1405–1422, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-1405-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-1405-2023, 2023
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Numerical models of ocean biogeochemistry are becoming a major tool to detect and predict the impact of climate change on marine resources and monitor ocean health. Here, we demonstrate the use of the global array of BGC-Argo floats for the assessment of biogeochemical models. We first detail the handling of the BGC-Argo data set for model assessment purposes. We then present 23 assessment metrics to quantify the consistency of BGC model simulations with respect to BGC-Argo data.
Alban Planchat, Lester Kwiatkowski, Laurent Bopp, Olivier Torres, James R. Christian, Momme Butenschön, Tomas Lovato, Roland Séférian, Matthew A. Chamberlain, Olivier Aumont, Michio Watanabe, Akitomo Yamamoto, Andrew Yool, Tatiana Ilyina, Hiroyuki Tsujino, Kristen M. Krumhardt, Jörg Schwinger, Jerry Tjiputra, John P. Dunne, and Charles Stock
Biogeosciences, 20, 1195–1257, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-1195-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-1195-2023, 2023
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Ocean alkalinity is critical to the uptake of atmospheric carbon and acidification in surface waters. We review the representation of alkalinity and the associated calcium carbonate cycle in Earth system models. While many parameterizations remain present in the latest generation of models, there is a general improvement in the simulated alkalinity distribution. This improvement is related to an increase in the export of biotic calcium carbonate, which closer resembles observations.
Jérôme Pinti, Tim DeVries, Tommy Norin, Camila Serra-Pompei, Roland Proud, David A. Siegel, Thomas Kiørboe, Colleen M. Petrik, Ken H. Andersen, Andrew S. Brierley, and André W. Visser
Biogeosciences, 20, 997–1009, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-997-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-997-2023, 2023
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Large numbers of marine organisms such as zooplankton and fish perform daily vertical migration between the surface (at night) and the depths (in the daytime). This fascinating migration is important for the carbon cycle, as these organisms actively bring carbon to depths where it is stored away from the atmosphere for a long time. Here, we quantify the contributions of different animals to this carbon drawdown and storage and show that fish are important to the biological carbon pump.
Alastair J. M. Lough, Alessandro Tagliabue, Clément Demasy, Joseph A. Resing, Travis Mellett, Neil J. Wyatt, and Maeve C. Lohan
Biogeosciences, 20, 405–420, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-405-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-405-2023, 2023
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Iron is a key nutrient for ocean primary productivity. Hydrothermal vents are a source of iron to the oceans, but the size of this source is poorly understood. This study examines the variability in iron inputs between hydrothermal vents in different geological settings. The vents studied release different amounts of Fe, resulting in plumes with similar dissolved iron concentrations but different particulate concentrations. This will help to refine modelling of iron-limited ocean productivity.
Nicole M. Travis, Colette L. Kelly, Margaret R. Mulholland, and Karen L. Casciotti
Biogeosciences, 20, 325–347, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-325-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-325-2023, 2023
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The primary nitrite maximum is a ubiquitous upper ocean feature where nitrite accumulates, but we still do not understand its formation and the co-occurring microbial processes involved. Using correlative methods and rates measurements, we found strong spatial patterns between environmental conditions and depths of the nitrite maxima, but not the maximum concentrations. Nitrification was the dominant source of nitrite, with occasional high nitrite production from phytoplankton near the coast.
Natacha Le Grix, Jakob Zscheischler, Keith B. Rodgers, Ryohei Yamaguchi, and Thomas L. Frölicher
Biogeosciences, 19, 5807–5835, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-5807-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-5807-2022, 2022
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Compound events threaten marine ecosystems. Here, we investigate the potentially harmful combination of marine heatwaves with low phytoplankton productivity. Using satellite-based observations, we show that these compound events are frequent in the low latitudes. We then investigate the drivers of these compound events using Earth system models. The models share similar drivers in the low latitudes but disagree in the high latitudes due to divergent factors limiting phytoplankton production.
Abigale M. Wyatt, Laure Resplandy, and Adrian Marchetti
Biogeosciences, 19, 5689–5705, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-5689-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-5689-2022, 2022
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Marine heat waves (MHWs) are a frequent event in the northeast Pacific, with a large impact on the region's ecosystems. Large phytoplankton in the North Pacific Transition Zone are greatly affected by decreased nutrients, with less of an impact in the Alaskan Gyre. For small phytoplankton, MHWs increase the spring small phytoplankton population in both regions thanks to reduced light limitation. In both zones, this results in a significant decrease in the ratio of large to small phytoplankton.
Margot C. F. Debyser, Laetitia Pichevin, Robyn E. Tuerena, Paul A. Dodd, Antonia Doncila, and Raja S. Ganeshram
Biogeosciences, 19, 5499–5520, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-5499-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-5499-2022, 2022
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We focus on the exchange of key nutrients for algae production between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans through the Fram Strait. We show that the export of dissolved silicon here is controlled by the availability of nitrate which is influenced by denitrification on Arctic shelves. We suggest that any future changes in the river inputs of silica and changes in denitrification due to climate change will impact the amount of silicon exported, with impacts on Atlantic algal productivity and ecology.
Emily J. Zakem, Barbara Bayer, Wei Qin, Alyson E. Santoro, Yao Zhang, and Naomi M. Levine
Biogeosciences, 19, 5401–5418, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-5401-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-5401-2022, 2022
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We use a microbial ecosystem model to quantitatively explain the mechanisms controlling observed relative abundances and nitrification rates of ammonia- and nitrite-oxidizing microorganisms in the ocean. We also estimate how much global carbon fixation can be associated with chemoautotrophic nitrification. Our results improve our understanding of the controls on nitrification, laying the groundwork for more accurate predictions in global climate models.
Zuozhu Wen, Thomas J. Browning, Rongbo Dai, Wenwei Wu, Weiying Li, Xiaohua Hu, Wenfang Lin, Lifang Wang, Xin Liu, Zhimian Cao, Haizheng Hong, and Dalin Shi
Biogeosciences, 19, 5237–5250, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-5237-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-5237-2022, 2022
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Fe and P are key factors controlling the biogeography and activity of marine N2-fixing microorganisms. We found lower abundance and activity of N2 fixers in the northern South China Sea than around the western boundary of the North Pacific, and N2 fixation rates switched from Fe–P co-limitation to P limitation. We hypothesize the Fe supply rates and Fe utilization strategies of each N2 fixer are important in regulating spatial variability in community structure across the study area.
Claudia Eisenring, Sophy E. Oliver, Samar Khatiwala, and Gregory F. de Souza
Biogeosciences, 19, 5079–5106, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-5079-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-5079-2022, 2022
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Given the sparsity of observational constraints on micronutrients such as zinc (Zn), we assess the sensitivities of a framework for objective parameter optimisation in an oceanic Zn cycling model. Our ensemble of optimisations towards synthetic data with varying kinds of uncertainty shows that deficiencies related to model complexity and the choice of the misfit function generally have a greater impact on the retrieval of model Zn uptake behaviour than does the limitation of data coverage.
Yoshikazu Sasai, Sherwood Lan Smith, Eko Siswanto, Hideharu Sasaki, and Masami Nonaka
Biogeosciences, 19, 4865–4882, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4865-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4865-2022, 2022
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We have investigated the adaptive response of phytoplankton growth to changing light, nutrients, and temperature over the North Pacific using two physical-biological models. We compare modeled chlorophyll and primary production from an inflexible control model (InFlexPFT), which assumes fixed carbon (C):nitrogen (N):chlorophyll (Chl) ratios, to a recently developed flexible phytoplankton functional type model (FlexPFT), which incorporates photoacclimation and variable C:N:Chl ratios.
Jens Terhaar, Thomas L. Frölicher, and Fortunat Joos
Biogeosciences, 19, 4431–4457, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4431-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4431-2022, 2022
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Estimates of the ocean sink of anthropogenic carbon vary across various approaches. We show that the global ocean carbon sink can be estimated by three parameters, two of which approximate the ocean ventilation in the Southern Ocean and the North Atlantic, and one of which approximates the chemical capacity of the ocean to take up carbon. With observations of these parameters, we estimate that the global ocean carbon sink is 10 % larger than previously assumed, and we cut uncertainties in half.
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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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Short summary
A surface summer plankton bloom in the western tropical South Pacific was sampled during the Oligotrophy to UlTra-oligotrophy PACific Experiment (OUTPACE) cruise. We characterize the bloom's properties and the circulation responsible for its evolution. Nitrogen fixation helped sustain the bloom, and larger-scale flows, rather than the smaller ones, explain its movements. Future studies of blooms in this region can make use of these findings to track the horizontal export of plankton production.
A surface summer plankton bloom in the western tropical South Pacific was sampled during the...
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