Climate change is associated with higher phytoplankton biomass and longer blooms in the West Antarctic Peninsula
Abstract The Antarctic Peninsula (West Antarctica) marine ecosystem has undergone substantial changes due to climate-induced shifts in atmospheric and oceanic temperatures since the 1950s. Using 25 years of satellite data (1998-2022), this study presents evidence that phytoplankton biomass and bloom...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:62764613b2d0467b84a71ddb1e39a07d 2024-09-15T17:42:17+00:00 Climate change is associated with higher phytoplankton biomass and longer blooms in the West Antarctic Peninsula Afonso Ferreira Carlos R. B. Mendes Raul R. Costa Vanda Brotas Virginia M. Tavano Catarina V. Guerreiro Eduardo R. Secchi Ana C. Brito 2024-08-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-50381-2 https://doaj.org/article/62764613b2d0467b84a71ddb1e39a07d EN eng Nature Portfolio https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-50381-2 https://doaj.org/toc/2041-1723 doi:10.1038/s41467-024-50381-2 2041-1723 https://doaj.org/article/62764613b2d0467b84a71ddb1e39a07d Nature Communications, Vol 15, Iss 1, Pp 1-11 (2024) Science Q article 2024 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-50381-2 2024-08-05T17:50:07Z Abstract The Antarctic Peninsula (West Antarctica) marine ecosystem has undergone substantial changes due to climate-induced shifts in atmospheric and oceanic temperatures since the 1950s. Using 25 years of satellite data (1998-2022), this study presents evidence that phytoplankton biomass and bloom phenology in the West Antarctic Peninsula are significantly changing as a response to anthropogenic climate change. Enhanced phytoplankton biomass was observed along the West Antarctic Peninsula, particularly in the early austral autumn, resulting in longer blooms. Long-term sea ice decline was identified as the main driver enabling phytoplankton growth in early spring and autumn, in parallel with a recent intensification of the Southern Annular Mode (2010-ongoing), which was observed to influence regional variability. Our findings contribute to the understanding of the complex interplay between environmental changes and phytoplankton responses in this climatically key region of the Southern Ocean and raise important questions regarding the far-reaching consequences that these ecological changes may have on global carbon sequestration and Antarctic food webs in the future. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Antarctica Sea ice Southern Ocean West Antarctica Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Nature Communications 15 1 |
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Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
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Science Q Afonso Ferreira Carlos R. B. Mendes Raul R. Costa Vanda Brotas Virginia M. Tavano Catarina V. Guerreiro Eduardo R. Secchi Ana C. Brito Climate change is associated with higher phytoplankton biomass and longer blooms in the West Antarctic Peninsula |
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Science Q |
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Abstract The Antarctic Peninsula (West Antarctica) marine ecosystem has undergone substantial changes due to climate-induced shifts in atmospheric and oceanic temperatures since the 1950s. Using 25 years of satellite data (1998-2022), this study presents evidence that phytoplankton biomass and bloom phenology in the West Antarctic Peninsula are significantly changing as a response to anthropogenic climate change. Enhanced phytoplankton biomass was observed along the West Antarctic Peninsula, particularly in the early austral autumn, resulting in longer blooms. Long-term sea ice decline was identified as the main driver enabling phytoplankton growth in early spring and autumn, in parallel with a recent intensification of the Southern Annular Mode (2010-ongoing), which was observed to influence regional variability. Our findings contribute to the understanding of the complex interplay between environmental changes and phytoplankton responses in this climatically key region of the Southern Ocean and raise important questions regarding the far-reaching consequences that these ecological changes may have on global carbon sequestration and Antarctic food webs in the future. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Afonso Ferreira Carlos R. B. Mendes Raul R. Costa Vanda Brotas Virginia M. Tavano Catarina V. Guerreiro Eduardo R. Secchi Ana C. Brito |
author_facet |
Afonso Ferreira Carlos R. B. Mendes Raul R. Costa Vanda Brotas Virginia M. Tavano Catarina V. Guerreiro Eduardo R. Secchi Ana C. Brito |
author_sort |
Afonso Ferreira |
title |
Climate change is associated with higher phytoplankton biomass and longer blooms in the West Antarctic Peninsula |
title_short |
Climate change is associated with higher phytoplankton biomass and longer blooms in the West Antarctic Peninsula |
title_full |
Climate change is associated with higher phytoplankton biomass and longer blooms in the West Antarctic Peninsula |
title_fullStr |
Climate change is associated with higher phytoplankton biomass and longer blooms in the West Antarctic Peninsula |
title_full_unstemmed |
Climate change is associated with higher phytoplankton biomass and longer blooms in the West Antarctic Peninsula |
title_sort |
climate change is associated with higher phytoplankton biomass and longer blooms in the west antarctic peninsula |
publisher |
Nature Portfolio |
publishDate |
2024 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-50381-2 https://doaj.org/article/62764613b2d0467b84a71ddb1e39a07d |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Antarctica Sea ice Southern Ocean West Antarctica |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Antarctica Sea ice Southern Ocean West Antarctica |
op_source |
Nature Communications, Vol 15, Iss 1, Pp 1-11 (2024) |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-50381-2 https://doaj.org/toc/2041-1723 doi:10.1038/s41467-024-50381-2 2041-1723 https://doaj.org/article/62764613b2d0467b84a71ddb1e39a07d |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-50381-2 |
container_title |
Nature Communications |
container_volume |
15 |
container_issue |
1 |
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1810488800577585152 |