Phytoplankton and pigment patterns across frontal zones in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean

Phytoplankton distribution and concentrations of macronutrients and iron were studied in the Polar Frontal Zone (PFZ) and the eastern Weddell Gyre of the Southern Ocean, during austral autumn. HPLC analysis of algal pigments was combined with microscopy observations to assess algal distribution. Pat...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Published in:Marine Chemistry
Main Authors: van Leeuwe, Maria A., Kattner, Gerhard, van Oijen, Tim, de Jong, Jeroen T. M., de Baar, Hein J.W.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2015
Subjects:
Pigments
Phytoplankton
Southern Ocean
Nutrients
Iron
Polar Front
Irradiance/light
ANTARCTIC CIRCUMPOLAR CURRENT
PHOTOSYNTHETIC PIGMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL-FACTORS
COMMUNITY STRUCTURE
PACIFIC SECTOR
WATER MASSES
ICE-ZONE
DIATOM
Antarctic
Austral
Pacific
Weddell
Antarc*
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/11370/0aaabfe2-ac97-412d-b9f5-d61c7ea24914
https://research.rug.nl/en/publications/0aaabfe2-ac97-412d-b9f5-d61c7ea24914
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marchem.2015.08.003
https://pure.rug.nl/ws/files/84881753/Phytoplankton_and_pigment_patterns_across_frontal_zones_in_the_Atlantic.pdf
Description
Summary:Phytoplankton distribution and concentrations of macronutrients and iron were studied in the Polar Frontal Zone (PFZ) and the eastern Weddell Gyre of the Southern Ocean, during austral autumn. HPLC analysis of algal pigments was combined with microscopy observations to assess algal distribution. Patterns of algal distribution were dictated by the frontal systems. Travelling from north to south, four distinctively different algal communities were observed, the composition of which could be explained by variations in nutrients, light climate and grazing pressure. North of the PFZ, low silicate levels (100 m depth) together with low incident irradiance in autumn were likely limiting algal growth. At the Marginal Ice Zone (MIZ), the phytoplankton community consisted mainly of low numbers of flagellates (Chlorophyceae and haptophytes) and high numbers of microzooplankton, indicating phytoplankton control by grazing. The phytoplankton distribution patterns presented here and the relation with potential growth-controlling factors provides more insight in the mechanisms that control carbon fluxes from the atmosphere into the ocean interior. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Similar Items