Articles | Volume 23, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-639-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-639-2026
Research article
 | 
22 Jan 2026
Research article |  | 22 Jan 2026

Glaciogenic iron transport pathways to the Kerguelen offshore phytoplankton bloom

Alex Nalivaev, Francesco d'Ovidio, Laurent Bopp, Maristella Berta, Louise Rousselet, Clara Azarian, and Stéphane Blain

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Cited articles

Ardyna, M., Claustre, H., Sallée, J., D'Ovidio, F., Gentili, B., Van Dijken, G., D'Ortenzio, F., and Arrigo, K. R.: Delineating environmental control of phytoplankton biomass and phenology in the Southern Ocean, Geophysical Research Letters, 44, 5016–5024, https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL072428, 2017. a, b, c, d
Ardyna, M., Lacour, L., Sergi, S., d'Ovidio, F., Sallée, J.-B., Rembauville, M., Blain, S., Tagliabue, A., Schlitzer, R., Jeandel, C., Arrigo, K. R., and Claustre, H.: Hydrothermal vents trigger massive phytoplankton blooms in the Southern Ocean, Nature Communications, 10, 2451, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-09973-6, 2019. a, b
Arrigo, K. R., Van Dijken, G. L., and Strong, A. L.: Environmental controls of marine productivity hot spots around Antarctica, Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 120, 5545–5565, https://doi.org/10.1002/2015JC010888, 2015. a, b
Arrigo, K. R., Van Dijken, G. L., Castelao, R. M., Luo, H., Rennermalm, A. K., Tedesco, M., Mote, T. L., Oliver, H., and Yager, P. L.: Melting glaciers stimulate large summer phytoplankton blooms in southwest Greenland waters, Geophysical Research Letters, 44, 6278–6285, https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL073583, 2017. a, b
Azarian, C., Bopp, L., Sallée, J.-B., Swart, S., Guinet, C., and d'Ovidio, F.: Marine heatwaves and global warming impacts on winter waters in the Southern Indian Ocean, Journal of Marine Systems, 243, 103962, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmarsys.2023.103962, 2024. a
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Short summary
The Kerguelen region hosts a phytoplankton bloom influenced by several iron sources. In particular, glaciers supply iron to the coastal waters. However, the importance of glacial iron for the bloom is not known. Here we calculate iron transport pathways from glaciers to the open ocean using in situ and satellite data, showing that one third of the offshore bloom is reached by glacial iron. These results are important in the context of the melting of the Kerguelen ice cap under climate change.
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