Phytoplankton Assemblage Structure and Primary Productivity Along 170° W in the South Pacific Ocean
Phytoplankton pigments were measured using HPLC during non-ENSO conditions in mid-summer along a South Pacific transect from 67°S to the equator along 170°W. Highest concentrations of chlorophyll a (chl a) occurred in the Polar and the Subtropical Fronts (PF and STF, respectively) with concentration...
Published in: | Marine Ecology Progress Series |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | unknown |
Published: |
Digital Commons @ University of South Florida
2003
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/msc_facpub/158 https://doi.org/10.3354/meps255055 |
id |
ftusouthflorida:oai:digitalcommons.usf.edu:msc_facpub-1157 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftusouthflorida:oai:digitalcommons.usf.edu:msc_facpub-1157 2023-07-30T03:59:18+02:00 Phytoplankton Assemblage Structure and Primary Productivity Along 170° W in the South Pacific Ocean DiTullio, Giacomo R. Geesey, Mark E. Jones, David R. Daly, Kendra L. Campbell, Lisa Smith, Walker O. 2003-06-24T07:00:00Z application/pdf https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/msc_facpub/158 https://doi.org/10.3354/meps255055 unknown Digital Commons @ University of South Florida https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/msc_facpub/158 doi:10.3354/meps255055 https://doi.org/10.3354/meps255055 Marine Science Faculty Publications phytoplankton assemblage photosynthetic pigments productivity Antarctic circumpolar current South Pacific gyre equatorial upwelling CHEMTAX Life Sciences Marine Biology article 2003 ftusouthflorida https://doi.org/10.3354/meps255055 2023-07-13T20:21:48Z Phytoplankton pigments were measured using HPLC during non-ENSO conditions in mid-summer along a South Pacific transect from 67°S to the equator along 170°W. Highest concentrations of chlorophyll a (chl a) occurred in the Polar and the Subtropical Fronts (PF and STF, respectively) with concentrations exceeding 500 ng l-1. In the STF, there was a distinct subsurface chl a maximum (SCM) at 40 m, which gradually deepened northward to 120 m in the Subtropical Convergence Zone. Northwards, the SCM shoaled to about 30 m in the Equatorial Zone (EZ). Relatively high concentrations of fucoxanthin and 19¹-butanoyloxyfucoxanthin occurred in the nutrient-rich waters south of the Subantarctic Front, and ChemTax analyses indicated that diatoms, chrysophytes, pelagophytes, and haptophytes dominated the phytoplankton assemblage. Northward of the PF to the STF, where silicate concentrations were < 1 µM, pelagophytes and coccolithophorids dominated the water column; diatoms were virtually absent, and Phaeocystis, prasinophytes, cryptophytes, and chlorophytes contributed significantly to the total algal biomass. Phaeocystis populations were dominant at or below the 1% light level. In the South Pacific Gyre (SPG), Synechococcus (Syn) and Prochlorococcus (Pro) were major components of the phytoplankton assemblage with Pro dominant as indicated by both flow cytometry and by the ratio of divinyl chl a:total chl a (0.43 ± 0.07). Photoacclimation by Pro in the SPG was pronounced, with a higher average divinyl chl a per cell ratio in the SCM (1.1) relative to values (0.1) in the upper waters (0 to 100 m). Primary production rates exceeding 1 µg C l-1 h-1 occurred at the surface in the STF. Surface primary production rates were generally < 0.4 µg C l-1 h-1 across the SPG, but exceeded 1.4 µg C l-1 h-1 at the equator. In the EZ, Pro dominated the phytoplankton assemblage, but Phaeocystis and prasinophytes were also major constituents of the assemblage. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic University of South Florida St. Petersburg: Digital USFSP Antarctic Pacific Marine Ecology Progress Series 255 55 80 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of South Florida St. Petersburg: Digital USFSP |
op_collection_id |
ftusouthflorida |
language |
unknown |
topic |
phytoplankton assemblage photosynthetic pigments productivity Antarctic circumpolar current South Pacific gyre equatorial upwelling CHEMTAX Life Sciences Marine Biology |
spellingShingle |
phytoplankton assemblage photosynthetic pigments productivity Antarctic circumpolar current South Pacific gyre equatorial upwelling CHEMTAX Life Sciences Marine Biology DiTullio, Giacomo R. Geesey, Mark E. Jones, David R. Daly, Kendra L. Campbell, Lisa Smith, Walker O. Phytoplankton Assemblage Structure and Primary Productivity Along 170° W in the South Pacific Ocean |
topic_facet |
phytoplankton assemblage photosynthetic pigments productivity Antarctic circumpolar current South Pacific gyre equatorial upwelling CHEMTAX Life Sciences Marine Biology |
description |
Phytoplankton pigments were measured using HPLC during non-ENSO conditions in mid-summer along a South Pacific transect from 67°S to the equator along 170°W. Highest concentrations of chlorophyll a (chl a) occurred in the Polar and the Subtropical Fronts (PF and STF, respectively) with concentrations exceeding 500 ng l-1. In the STF, there was a distinct subsurface chl a maximum (SCM) at 40 m, which gradually deepened northward to 120 m in the Subtropical Convergence Zone. Northwards, the SCM shoaled to about 30 m in the Equatorial Zone (EZ). Relatively high concentrations of fucoxanthin and 19¹-butanoyloxyfucoxanthin occurred in the nutrient-rich waters south of the Subantarctic Front, and ChemTax analyses indicated that diatoms, chrysophytes, pelagophytes, and haptophytes dominated the phytoplankton assemblage. Northward of the PF to the STF, where silicate concentrations were < 1 µM, pelagophytes and coccolithophorids dominated the water column; diatoms were virtually absent, and Phaeocystis, prasinophytes, cryptophytes, and chlorophytes contributed significantly to the total algal biomass. Phaeocystis populations were dominant at or below the 1% light level. In the South Pacific Gyre (SPG), Synechococcus (Syn) and Prochlorococcus (Pro) were major components of the phytoplankton assemblage with Pro dominant as indicated by both flow cytometry and by the ratio of divinyl chl a:total chl a (0.43 ± 0.07). Photoacclimation by Pro in the SPG was pronounced, with a higher average divinyl chl a per cell ratio in the SCM (1.1) relative to values (0.1) in the upper waters (0 to 100 m). Primary production rates exceeding 1 µg C l-1 h-1 occurred at the surface in the STF. Surface primary production rates were generally < 0.4 µg C l-1 h-1 across the SPG, but exceeded 1.4 µg C l-1 h-1 at the equator. In the EZ, Pro dominated the phytoplankton assemblage, but Phaeocystis and prasinophytes were also major constituents of the assemblage. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
DiTullio, Giacomo R. Geesey, Mark E. Jones, David R. Daly, Kendra L. Campbell, Lisa Smith, Walker O. |
author_facet |
DiTullio, Giacomo R. Geesey, Mark E. Jones, David R. Daly, Kendra L. Campbell, Lisa Smith, Walker O. |
author_sort |
DiTullio, Giacomo R. |
title |
Phytoplankton Assemblage Structure and Primary Productivity Along 170° W in the South Pacific Ocean |
title_short |
Phytoplankton Assemblage Structure and Primary Productivity Along 170° W in the South Pacific Ocean |
title_full |
Phytoplankton Assemblage Structure and Primary Productivity Along 170° W in the South Pacific Ocean |
title_fullStr |
Phytoplankton Assemblage Structure and Primary Productivity Along 170° W in the South Pacific Ocean |
title_full_unstemmed |
Phytoplankton Assemblage Structure and Primary Productivity Along 170° W in the South Pacific Ocean |
title_sort |
phytoplankton assemblage structure and primary productivity along 170° w in the south pacific ocean |
publisher |
Digital Commons @ University of South Florida |
publishDate |
2003 |
url |
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/msc_facpub/158 https://doi.org/10.3354/meps255055 |
geographic |
Antarctic Pacific |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Pacific |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic |
op_source |
Marine Science Faculty Publications |
op_relation |
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/msc_facpub/158 doi:10.3354/meps255055 https://doi.org/10.3354/meps255055 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3354/meps255055 |
container_title |
Marine Ecology Progress Series |
container_volume |
255 |
container_start_page |
55 |
op_container_end_page |
80 |
_version_ |
1772810068559921152 |