Contrasting glacial meltwater effects on post-bloom phytoplankton on temporal and spatial scales in Kongsfjorden, Spitsbergen
Glacial meltwater discharge in fjords on the west coast of Spitsbergen is increasing due to climate change. The influence of this discharge on phytoplankton nutrient limitation, composition, productivity and photophysiology was investigated in central (M) and inner (G) Kongsfjorden (79°N, 11°40’E)....
Published in: | Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene |
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crunicaliforniap:10.1525/elementa.307 2024-09-30T14:38:09+00:00 Contrasting glacial meltwater effects on post-bloom phytoplankton on temporal and spatial scales in Kongsfjorden, Spitsbergen van de Poll, Willem H. Kulk, Gemma Rozema, Patrick D. Brussaard, Corina P. D. Visser, Ronald J. W. Buma, Anita G. J. Deming, Jody W. Tremblay, Jean-Éric 2018 http://dx.doi.org/10.1525/elementa.307 http://online.ucpress.edu/elementa/article-pdf/doi/10.1525/elementa.307/471686/307-5371-1-pb.pdf en eng University of California Press http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene volume 6 ISSN 2325-1026 journal-article 2018 crunicaliforniap https://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.307 2024-09-05T05:01:59Z Glacial meltwater discharge in fjords on the west coast of Spitsbergen is increasing due to climate change. The influence of this discharge on phytoplankton nutrient limitation, composition, productivity and photophysiology was investigated in central (M) and inner (G) Kongsfjorden (79°N, 11°40’E). Freshwater influx intensified stratification during June 2015, coinciding with surface nutrient depletion. Surface nutrient concentrations were negatively correlated with stratification strength at station M. Here, nitrate addition assays revealed increasing N limitation of surface phytoplankton during the second half of June, which was followed by a pronounced compositional change within the flagellate-dominated phytoplankton community as dictyochophytes (85% of chl a) were replaced with smaller haptophytes (up to 60% of chlorophyll a) and prasinophytes (20% of chlorophyll a). These changes were less pronounced at station G, where surface phosphate, ammonium and nitrate concentrations were occasionally higher, and correlated with wind direction, suggesting wind-mediated transport of nutrient-enriched waters to this inner location. Therefore, glacial meltwater discharge mediated nutrient enrichment in the inner fjord, and enhanced stratification in inner and central Kongsfjorden. Surface chlorophyll a and water column productivity showed 3–4-fold variability, and did not correlate with nutrient limitation, euphotic zone depth, or changed taxonomic composition. However, the maximum carbon fixation rate and photosynthetic efficiency showed weak positive correlations to prasinophyte, cryptophyte, and haptophyte chlorophyll a. The present study documented relationships between stratification, N limitation, and changed phytoplankton composition, but surface chlorophyll a concentration, phytoplankton photosynthetic characteristics, and water column productivity in Kongsfjorden appeared to be driven by mechanisms other than N limitation. Article in Journal/Newspaper Kongsfjord* Kongsfjorden Spitsbergen University of California Press Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene 6 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of California Press |
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crunicaliforniap |
language |
English |
description |
Glacial meltwater discharge in fjords on the west coast of Spitsbergen is increasing due to climate change. The influence of this discharge on phytoplankton nutrient limitation, composition, productivity and photophysiology was investigated in central (M) and inner (G) Kongsfjorden (79°N, 11°40’E). Freshwater influx intensified stratification during June 2015, coinciding with surface nutrient depletion. Surface nutrient concentrations were negatively correlated with stratification strength at station M. Here, nitrate addition assays revealed increasing N limitation of surface phytoplankton during the second half of June, which was followed by a pronounced compositional change within the flagellate-dominated phytoplankton community as dictyochophytes (85% of chl a) were replaced with smaller haptophytes (up to 60% of chlorophyll a) and prasinophytes (20% of chlorophyll a). These changes were less pronounced at station G, where surface phosphate, ammonium and nitrate concentrations were occasionally higher, and correlated with wind direction, suggesting wind-mediated transport of nutrient-enriched waters to this inner location. Therefore, glacial meltwater discharge mediated nutrient enrichment in the inner fjord, and enhanced stratification in inner and central Kongsfjorden. Surface chlorophyll a and water column productivity showed 3–4-fold variability, and did not correlate with nutrient limitation, euphotic zone depth, or changed taxonomic composition. However, the maximum carbon fixation rate and photosynthetic efficiency showed weak positive correlations to prasinophyte, cryptophyte, and haptophyte chlorophyll a. The present study documented relationships between stratification, N limitation, and changed phytoplankton composition, but surface chlorophyll a concentration, phytoplankton photosynthetic characteristics, and water column productivity in Kongsfjorden appeared to be driven by mechanisms other than N limitation. |
author2 |
Deming, Jody W. Tremblay, Jean-Éric |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
van de Poll, Willem H. Kulk, Gemma Rozema, Patrick D. Brussaard, Corina P. D. Visser, Ronald J. W. Buma, Anita G. J. |
spellingShingle |
van de Poll, Willem H. Kulk, Gemma Rozema, Patrick D. Brussaard, Corina P. D. Visser, Ronald J. W. Buma, Anita G. J. Contrasting glacial meltwater effects on post-bloom phytoplankton on temporal and spatial scales in Kongsfjorden, Spitsbergen |
author_facet |
van de Poll, Willem H. Kulk, Gemma Rozema, Patrick D. Brussaard, Corina P. D. Visser, Ronald J. W. Buma, Anita G. J. |
author_sort |
van de Poll, Willem H. |
title |
Contrasting glacial meltwater effects on post-bloom phytoplankton on temporal and spatial scales in Kongsfjorden, Spitsbergen |
title_short |
Contrasting glacial meltwater effects on post-bloom phytoplankton on temporal and spatial scales in Kongsfjorden, Spitsbergen |
title_full |
Contrasting glacial meltwater effects on post-bloom phytoplankton on temporal and spatial scales in Kongsfjorden, Spitsbergen |
title_fullStr |
Contrasting glacial meltwater effects on post-bloom phytoplankton on temporal and spatial scales in Kongsfjorden, Spitsbergen |
title_full_unstemmed |
Contrasting glacial meltwater effects on post-bloom phytoplankton on temporal and spatial scales in Kongsfjorden, Spitsbergen |
title_sort |
contrasting glacial meltwater effects on post-bloom phytoplankton on temporal and spatial scales in kongsfjorden, spitsbergen |
publisher |
University of California Press |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1525/elementa.307 http://online.ucpress.edu/elementa/article-pdf/doi/10.1525/elementa.307/471686/307-5371-1-pb.pdf |
genre |
Kongsfjord* Kongsfjorden Spitsbergen |
genre_facet |
Kongsfjord* Kongsfjorden Spitsbergen |
op_source |
Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene volume 6 ISSN 2325-1026 |
op_rights |
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.307 |
container_title |
Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene |
container_volume |
6 |
_version_ |
1811640859112767488 |