Climate Driven Changes in Timing, Composition and Magnitude of the Baltic Sea Phytoplankton Spring Bloom
Spring phytoplankton blooms contribute a substantial part to annual production, support pelagic and benthic secondary production and influence biogeochemical cycles in many temperate aquatic systems. Understanding environmental effects on spring bloom dynamics is important for predicting future clim...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2019-08-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Marine Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2019.00482/full |
| _version_ | 1818902264909135872 |
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| author | Olle Hjerne Susanna Hajdu Ulf Larsson Andrea S. Downing Andrea S. Downing Monika Winder |
| author_facet | Olle Hjerne Susanna Hajdu Ulf Larsson Andrea S. Downing Andrea S. Downing Monika Winder |
| author_sort | Olle Hjerne |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Spring phytoplankton blooms contribute a substantial part to annual production, support pelagic and benthic secondary production and influence biogeochemical cycles in many temperate aquatic systems. Understanding environmental effects on spring bloom dynamics is important for predicting future climate responses and for managing aquatic systems. We analyzed long-term phytoplankton data from one coastal and one offshore station in the Baltic Sea to uncover trends in timing, composition and size of the spring bloom and its correlations to environmental variables. There was a general trend of earlier phytoplankton blooms by 1–2 weeks over the last 20 years, associated with more sunshine and less windy conditions. High water temperatures were associated with earlier blooms of diatoms and dinoflagellates that dominate the spring bloom, and decreased diatom bloom magnitude. Overall bloom timing, however, was buffered by a temperature and ice related shift in composition from early blooming diatoms to later blooming dinoflagellates and the autotrophic ciliate Mesodinium rubrum. Such counteracting responses to climate change highlight the importance of both general and taxon-specific investigations. We hypothesize that the predicted earlier blooms of diatoms and dinoflagellates as a response to the expected temperature increase in the Baltic Sea might also be counteracted by more clouds and stronger winds. A shift from early blooming and fast sedimenting diatoms to later blooming groups of dinoflagellates and M. rubrum at higher temperatures during the spring period is expected to increase energy transfers to pelagic secondary production and decrease spring bloom inputs to the benthic system, resulting in lower benthic production and reduced oxygen consumption. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T20:32:54Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8c5f3d885b2742d78b81280f5413dd5e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-7745 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T20:32:54Z |
| publishDate | 2019-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-8c5f3d885b2742d78b81280f5413dd5e2022-12-21T20:06:38ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Marine Science2296-77452019-08-01610.3389/fmars.2019.00482471112Climate Driven Changes in Timing, Composition and Magnitude of the Baltic Sea Phytoplankton Spring BloomOlle Hjerne0Susanna Hajdu1Ulf Larsson2Andrea S. Downing3Andrea S. Downing4Monika Winder5Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, SwedenDepartment of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, SwedenDepartment of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, SwedenDepartment of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, SwedenStockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, SwedenDepartment of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, SwedenSpring phytoplankton blooms contribute a substantial part to annual production, support pelagic and benthic secondary production and influence biogeochemical cycles in many temperate aquatic systems. Understanding environmental effects on spring bloom dynamics is important for predicting future climate responses and for managing aquatic systems. We analyzed long-term phytoplankton data from one coastal and one offshore station in the Baltic Sea to uncover trends in timing, composition and size of the spring bloom and its correlations to environmental variables. There was a general trend of earlier phytoplankton blooms by 1–2 weeks over the last 20 years, associated with more sunshine and less windy conditions. High water temperatures were associated with earlier blooms of diatoms and dinoflagellates that dominate the spring bloom, and decreased diatom bloom magnitude. Overall bloom timing, however, was buffered by a temperature and ice related shift in composition from early blooming diatoms to later blooming dinoflagellates and the autotrophic ciliate Mesodinium rubrum. Such counteracting responses to climate change highlight the importance of both general and taxon-specific investigations. We hypothesize that the predicted earlier blooms of diatoms and dinoflagellates as a response to the expected temperature increase in the Baltic Sea might also be counteracted by more clouds and stronger winds. A shift from early blooming and fast sedimenting diatoms to later blooming groups of dinoflagellates and M. rubrum at higher temperatures during the spring period is expected to increase energy transfers to pelagic secondary production and decrease spring bloom inputs to the benthic system, resulting in lower benthic production and reduced oxygen consumption.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2019.00482/fullphytoplankton spring bloomBaltic Seaphenologyspecies compositionclimate changediatom |
| spellingShingle | Olle Hjerne Susanna Hajdu Ulf Larsson Andrea S. Downing Andrea S. Downing Monika Winder Climate Driven Changes in Timing, Composition and Magnitude of the Baltic Sea Phytoplankton Spring Bloom Frontiers in Marine Science phytoplankton spring bloom Baltic Sea phenology species composition climate change diatom |
| title | Climate Driven Changes in Timing, Composition and Magnitude of the Baltic Sea Phytoplankton Spring Bloom |
| title_full | Climate Driven Changes in Timing, Composition and Magnitude of the Baltic Sea Phytoplankton Spring Bloom |
| title_fullStr | Climate Driven Changes in Timing, Composition and Magnitude of the Baltic Sea Phytoplankton Spring Bloom |
| title_full_unstemmed | Climate Driven Changes in Timing, Composition and Magnitude of the Baltic Sea Phytoplankton Spring Bloom |
| title_short | Climate Driven Changes in Timing, Composition and Magnitude of the Baltic Sea Phytoplankton Spring Bloom |
| title_sort | climate driven changes in timing composition and magnitude of the baltic sea phytoplankton spring bloom |
| topic | phytoplankton spring bloom Baltic Sea phenology species composition climate change diatom |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2019.00482/full |
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