Grazing behavior and winter phytoplankton accumulation
<p>Recent observations have shown that phytoplankton biomass increases in the North Atlantic during winter, even when the mixed layer is deepening and light is limited. Current theories suggest that this is due to a release from grazing pressure. Here we demonstrate that the often-used grazing...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2021-10-01
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| Series: | Biogeosciences |
| Online Access: | https://bg.copernicus.org/articles/18/5595/2021/bg-18-5595-2021.pdf |
| _version_ | 1831728768107937792 |
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| author | M. Freilich A. Mignot G. Flierl R. Ferrari |
| author_facet | M. Freilich A. Mignot G. Flierl R. Ferrari |
| author_sort | M. Freilich |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Recent observations have shown that phytoplankton biomass increases in the North Atlantic during winter, even when the mixed layer is deepening and
light is limited. Current theories suggest that this is due to a release from grazing pressure. Here we demonstrate that the often-used grazing
models that are linear at low phytoplankton concentration do not allow for a wintertime increase in phytoplankton biomass. However, mathematical formulations of grazing as a function of phytoplankton concentration that are quadratic at low concentrations (or more generally
decrease faster than linearly as phytoplankton concentration decreases) can reproduce the fall to spring transition in phytoplankton, including
wintertime biomass accumulation. We illustrate this point with a minimal model for the annual cycle of North Atlantic phytoplankton designed to
simulate phytoplankton concentration as observed by BioGeoChemical-Argo (BGC-Argo) floats in the North Atlantic. This analysis provides a
mathematical framework for assessing hypotheses of phytoplankton bloom formation.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T06:56:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d4c22689e26640e682d9c124ab193035 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1726-4170 1726-4189 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T06:56:20Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biogeosciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-d4c22689e26640e682d9c124ab1930352022-12-21T19:12:20ZengCopernicus PublicationsBiogeosciences1726-41701726-41892021-10-01185595560710.5194/bg-18-5595-2021Grazing behavior and winter phytoplankton accumulationM. Freilich0A. Mignot1G. Flierl2R. Ferrari3MIT-WHOI Joint Program in Oceanography & Applied Ocean Science and Engineering, Cambridge, MA, USAMercator Ocean International, Ramonville-Saint-Agne, FranceDepartment of Earth Atmospheric and Planetary Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USADepartment of Earth Atmospheric and Planetary Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA<p>Recent observations have shown that phytoplankton biomass increases in the North Atlantic during winter, even when the mixed layer is deepening and light is limited. Current theories suggest that this is due to a release from grazing pressure. Here we demonstrate that the often-used grazing models that are linear at low phytoplankton concentration do not allow for a wintertime increase in phytoplankton biomass. However, mathematical formulations of grazing as a function of phytoplankton concentration that are quadratic at low concentrations (or more generally decrease faster than linearly as phytoplankton concentration decreases) can reproduce the fall to spring transition in phytoplankton, including wintertime biomass accumulation. We illustrate this point with a minimal model for the annual cycle of North Atlantic phytoplankton designed to simulate phytoplankton concentration as observed by BioGeoChemical-Argo (BGC-Argo) floats in the North Atlantic. This analysis provides a mathematical framework for assessing hypotheses of phytoplankton bloom formation.</p>https://bg.copernicus.org/articles/18/5595/2021/bg-18-5595-2021.pdf |
| spellingShingle | M. Freilich A. Mignot G. Flierl R. Ferrari Grazing behavior and winter phytoplankton accumulation Biogeosciences |
| title | Grazing behavior and winter phytoplankton accumulation |
| title_full | Grazing behavior and winter phytoplankton accumulation |
| title_fullStr | Grazing behavior and winter phytoplankton accumulation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Grazing behavior and winter phytoplankton accumulation |
| title_short | Grazing behavior and winter phytoplankton accumulation |
| title_sort | grazing behavior and winter phytoplankton accumulation |
| url | https://bg.copernicus.org/articles/18/5595/2021/bg-18-5595-2021.pdf |
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