Thanks to:

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Phytoplankton Efforts for the Palmer Long Term
Ecological Research project Oscar Schofield and
Martin Montes-Hugo (2007 efforts) 2008 team
Oscar Schofield, Martin Montes-Hugo (glider
pilot), Alex Kahl, Elizabeth Delautis, Dove Guo,
Michael Garzio, Meghan Cermino
Thanks to
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Retrospective Review

• Phytoplankton show an offshore gradient
• The gradient is modified by the presence of the
  species present
• The is a high degree of inter-annual variability
  presumably driven by the climate forcing

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DATA for Large Scale Changes
Climatologies wind stress, cloud fraction,
skin temperature, 2.5 x 2.5 resolution,
1979-2006, NCEP-NCAR (NOAA), PAR SeaWiFS L3 9km
resolution, SST-AVHRR 4 km resolution, 1985-2006
(validation skt), NASA, Sea ice
concentration-SMMR-SSM/I, 12.5 km resolution,
1978-2006, (NSIDC), MLD, 1998-present, SODA and
FNMOC, QuickScat 1999-2006, 2.5 x 2.5 km
resolution. Pal-LTER datasets 1993-2006 DIC,
Alkalinity, Chlorophyll a concentration, HPLC
markers, S, T, nutrients, 0-20 m
depth Historical field data (cross validation of
Chl changes) National Oceanographic Data Center,
1978-2006. Satellite imagery CZCS (1978-1986)
and SeaWiFS (1998-2006) L2 GAC 4.5 x 4.5 km
resolution Spaced-derived Chl a distributions
Dierssen and Smith (2000), only December to
February fCO2 calculations seawater pCO2 from
DIC and Alk, CDIAC code, Alfred Wegener Institute
for Polar and Marine Research, atmospheric pCO2
from Jubany Station (1994-gt), Kw from Liss
(1973). NOAA independent dataset to validate Chl-
pCO2 relationships
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North Grid
South Grid
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dChl seawifs(1998/2006)-czcs(1978/1986)
Jan
North
South
Sea Ice extent, 1978/1986
Sea Ice extent, 1998/2006
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Pelagic primary productivity is increasing
southduring summer!!
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North
Cloudy
Windy February
South
Windy February
Sunny
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North to South Changes in Primary Production
(climatology, 1995-2004)
From Vernet et al.
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Summary of Chl and climate forcing
variations between 1978/1986 and 1998/2006

• A recent 60 relative increase of phytoplankton
  biomass toward southern waters of WAP
• An opposite and more drastic trend from 1978 to
  2006 on Chl of northern locations (89 summer
  average)
• Overall the phytoplankton biomass over WAP has
  declined on 12 since 1978
• Sea ice loss 7.5, 3-fold greater south
• Summer skies 5 cloudier north of WAP
• Early summer skies 5 less cloudiness south of
  WAP
• General wind intensification in the late summer
  and especially in southern locations of BS
  (2-fold)

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Biomass
Particle Size Distribution
Green gt 5 mg m-2 chlorophyll
Blue big cells dominate
Red small cells dominate
5 mg m-2gt Orange gt 2 mg m-2 chlorophyll 2 mg m-2
chlorophyll gt blue
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phytoplankton cell size seems to be changing?
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Largest phytoplankton blooms dominated by large
cells and diatom assemblages
Diatoms is the main source of large cells in
BS
Multivariate regressions analysis suggests that
Chl over the WAP region is mainly determined by
diatoms (80)
2001 data not plotted
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The greater Chl accumulation the greater pCO2
depletion in surface waters
Small flag
dpCO2 (µatm)
Phytoplankton uptake of dissolved CO2 vary with
trophic status (gt2-fold change on slope)
Large Diatoms
Chl 1.225 mg m-3
dpCO2 (µatm)
dpCO2 variations for 1993-2006 were more
sensitive to Diatoms abundance
Log (Chl)
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Oceanic phytoplankton more efficient to uptake
CO2 than coastal phytoplankton!!
?CO2 mole C/mole Chl a x mol photons in one
day
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Prymnesiophytes
Diatoms
Cryptophytes
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0.8
34
0.6
Proportion of total chlorophyll a associated with
diatoms
Salinity
0.4
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0.2
32
0
-1.5
-1
-0.5
0
0.5
1
1.5
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
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Temperature (C)
Proportion of total chlorophyll a associated with
cryptophytes
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Salinity (p.p.t)
Palmer Station
Antarctic Peninsula
Cryptophytes
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NOW
BEFORE
BEFORE
NOW
Greater export south is likely
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FOCUSING ON 4 YEARS 2 WERE NORTHERLIES (2002
2006) 2 WERE SOUTHERLIES (1998 2003)
chlorophyll
ICE
Northerlies give greater CO2 depletion, high chl,
due to greater light on ocean due to lower ice
Total dissolved carbon
Southerlies give lower CO2 depletion, lower chl,
due to lower light on ocean due to higher ice,
WIND STRESS
Deep-surface
LIGHT
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Summary of Results so far

• We think there is a quantitative change on dpCO2
  due to Chl enrichment
• We see evidence of different phytoplankton CO2
  uptake kinetics in eutrophic vs oligo/mesotrophic
  waters
• Greater CO2 sink associated with Chl accumulation
  above 1 mg m-3 and dominance of large diatoms.
  Diatom dominance was more connected with
  ecological differences (e.g., lower grazing) and
  not with physiological advantages
• Based on LTER data, synchronicity between MIZ
  blooms and sea ice timing changed after year
  2000. However, CO2 invasion into the ocean was
  accelerated due to greater frequency of massive
  phytoplankton blooms (Chlgt 5 mg m-3) dominated by
  large (gt20 µm) diatoms to the south of BS

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SATELLITES Water mass tagging the decadal dynamics
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DOES IT WORK?
In-situ verification on global and regional scales
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Delivery Ice Behaviors
TODAY at 613 AM LDT
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Cyber Social networks allow everyone to be at
sea, not just the scientist
-customized data viewers -daily blogs -other
data streams -lesson plans -majority of content
driven by one faculty with a undergraduate
interns -press outreach (265 stories with
simultaneous runs in the Beijing Peoples Daily,
Tehran Times and Jerusalem Post)
http//rucool.marine.rutgers.edu/atlantic/
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Trace metal strategies