Absence of photophysiological response to iron addition in autumn phytoplankton in the Antarctic sea-ice zone

Singh, Asmita; Fietz, Susanne; Thomalla, Sandy J.; Sanchez, Nicolas; Ardelan, Murat V.; Moreau, Sébastien; Kauko, Hanna M.; Fransson, Agneta; Chierici, Melissa; Samanta, Saumik; Mtshali, Thato N.; Roychoudhury, Alakendra N.; Ryan-Keogh, Thomas J.

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3073-2023

Articles | Volume 20, issue 14

https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3073-2023

© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Special issue:

The Weddell Sea and the ocean off Dronning Maud Land: unique...

https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3073-2023

© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 20, issue 14

Research article

|

31 Jul 2023

Research article |

| 31 Jul 2023

Absence of photophysiological response to iron addition in autumn phytoplankton in the Antarctic sea-ice zone

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

Data sets

Photophysiological response of autumn phytoplankton in the Antarctic Sea-Ice Zone 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 https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6322943

Model code and software

Southern Ocean Ecosystem cruise 2019 vertical in situ chlorophyll a profiles Hanna Kauko, Sebastien Moreau, and Tore Hattermann https://doi.org/10.21334/npolar.2021.5e510f85

Nutrient data (nitrate, phosphate and silicate) in the eastern Weddell gyre, Kong Haakon VII Hav, and the coast of Dronning Maud Land in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean in March 2019 Melissa Chierici and Agneta Fransson https://doi.org/10.21335/NMDC-1503664923

Short summary

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.