Articles | Volume 20, issue 9
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-1741-2023
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-1741-2023
Research article
 | 
11 May 2023
Research article |  | 11 May 2023

Satellite data reveal earlier and stronger phytoplankton blooms over fronts in the Gulf Stream region

Clément Haëck, Marina Lévy, Inès Mangolte, and Laurent Bopp

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Cited articles

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Short summary
Phytoplankton vary in abundance in the ocean over large regions and with the seasons but also because of small-scale heterogeneities in surface temperature, called fronts. Here, using satellite imagery, we found that fronts enhance phytoplankton much more where it is already growing well, but despite large local increases the enhancement for the region is modest (5 %). We also found that blooms start 1 to 2 weeks earlier over fronts. These effects may have implications for ecosystems.
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