Phytoplankton Growth and Productivity in the Western North Atlantic: Observations of Regional Variability From the NAAMES Field Campaigns
The ability to quantify spatio-temporal variability in phytoplankton growth and productivity is essential to improving our understanding of global carbon dynamics and trophic energy flow. Satellite-based observations offered the first opportunity to estimate depth-integrated net primary production (...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2020-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Marine Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2020.00024/full |
| _version_ | 1828373081407619072 |
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| author | James Fox Michael J. Behrenfeld Nils Haëntjens Alison Chase Sasha J. Kramer Sasha J. Kramer Emmanuel Boss Lee Karp-Boss Nerissa L. Fisher W. Bryce Penta Toby K. Westberry Kimberly H. Halsey |
| author_facet | James Fox Michael J. Behrenfeld Nils Haëntjens Alison Chase Sasha J. Kramer Sasha J. Kramer Emmanuel Boss Lee Karp-Boss Nerissa L. Fisher W. Bryce Penta Toby K. Westberry Kimberly H. Halsey |
| author_sort | James Fox |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The ability to quantify spatio-temporal variability in phytoplankton growth and productivity is essential to improving our understanding of global carbon dynamics and trophic energy flow. Satellite-based observations offered the first opportunity to estimate depth-integrated net primary production (NPP) at a global scale, but early modeling approaches could not effectively address variability in algal physiology, particularly the effects of photoacclimation on changes in cellular chlorophyll. Here, a previously developed photoacclimation model was used to derive depth-resolved estimates of phytoplankton division rate (μ) and NPP. The new approach predicts NPP values that closely match discrete measurements of 14C-based NPP and effectively captured both spatial and temporal variability observed during the four field campaigns of the North Atlantic Aerosols and Marine Ecosystems Study (NAAMES). We observed favorable growth conditions for phytoplankton throughout the annual cycle in the subtropical western North Atlantic. As a result, high rates of μ are sustained year-round resulting in a strong coupling between growth and loss processes and a more moderate spring bloom compared to the high-latitude subarctic region. Considerable light limitation was observed in the subarctic province during the winter, which resulted in divergent growth dynamics, stronger decoupling from grazing pressure and a taxonomically distinct phytoplankton community. This study demonstrates how detailed knowledge of phytoplankton division rate furthers our understanding of global carbon cycling by providing insight into the resulting influence on phytoplankton taxonomy and the loss processes that dictate the fate of fixed carbon. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-14T07:14:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d4ff68453e9e493a9b1894ae853b88de |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-7745 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-14T07:14:04Z |
| publishDate | 2020-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-d4ff68453e9e493a9b1894ae853b88de2022-12-22T02:06:21ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Marine Science2296-77452020-02-01710.3389/fmars.2020.00024510532Phytoplankton Growth and Productivity in the Western North Atlantic: Observations of Regional Variability From the NAAMES Field CampaignsJames Fox0Michael J. Behrenfeld1Nils Haëntjens2Alison Chase3Sasha J. Kramer4Sasha J. Kramer5Emmanuel Boss6Lee Karp-Boss7Nerissa L. Fisher8W. Bryce Penta9Toby K. Westberry10Kimberly H. Halsey11Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United StatesDepartment of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United StatesSchool of Marine Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME, United StatesSchool of Marine Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME, United StatesDepartment of Geography, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United StatesEarth Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United StatesSchool of Marine Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME, United StatesSchool of Marine Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME, United StatesDepartment of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United StatesDepartment of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United StatesDepartment of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United StatesDepartment of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United StatesThe ability to quantify spatio-temporal variability in phytoplankton growth and productivity is essential to improving our understanding of global carbon dynamics and trophic energy flow. Satellite-based observations offered the first opportunity to estimate depth-integrated net primary production (NPP) at a global scale, but early modeling approaches could not effectively address variability in algal physiology, particularly the effects of photoacclimation on changes in cellular chlorophyll. Here, a previously developed photoacclimation model was used to derive depth-resolved estimates of phytoplankton division rate (μ) and NPP. The new approach predicts NPP values that closely match discrete measurements of 14C-based NPP and effectively captured both spatial and temporal variability observed during the four field campaigns of the North Atlantic Aerosols and Marine Ecosystems Study (NAAMES). We observed favorable growth conditions for phytoplankton throughout the annual cycle in the subtropical western North Atlantic. As a result, high rates of μ are sustained year-round resulting in a strong coupling between growth and loss processes and a more moderate spring bloom compared to the high-latitude subarctic region. Considerable light limitation was observed in the subarctic province during the winter, which resulted in divergent growth dynamics, stronger decoupling from grazing pressure and a taxonomically distinct phytoplankton community. This study demonstrates how detailed knowledge of phytoplankton division rate furthers our understanding of global carbon cycling by providing insight into the resulting influence on phytoplankton taxonomy and the loss processes that dictate the fate of fixed carbon.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2020.00024/fullphytoplanktonNPPcarbonphotoacclimationmodelingoptics |
| spellingShingle | James Fox Michael J. Behrenfeld Nils Haëntjens Alison Chase Sasha J. Kramer Sasha J. Kramer Emmanuel Boss Lee Karp-Boss Nerissa L. Fisher W. Bryce Penta Toby K. Westberry Kimberly H. Halsey Phytoplankton Growth and Productivity in the Western North Atlantic: Observations of Regional Variability From the NAAMES Field Campaigns Frontiers in Marine Science phytoplankton NPP carbon photoacclimation modeling optics |
| title | Phytoplankton Growth and Productivity in the Western North Atlantic: Observations of Regional Variability From the NAAMES Field Campaigns |
| title_full | Phytoplankton Growth and Productivity in the Western North Atlantic: Observations of Regional Variability From the NAAMES Field Campaigns |
| title_fullStr | Phytoplankton Growth and Productivity in the Western North Atlantic: Observations of Regional Variability From the NAAMES Field Campaigns |
| title_full_unstemmed | Phytoplankton Growth and Productivity in the Western North Atlantic: Observations of Regional Variability From the NAAMES Field Campaigns |
| title_short | Phytoplankton Growth and Productivity in the Western North Atlantic: Observations of Regional Variability From the NAAMES Field Campaigns |
| title_sort | phytoplankton growth and productivity in the western north atlantic observations of regional variability from the naames field campaigns |
| topic | phytoplankton NPP carbon photoacclimation modeling optics |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2020.00024/full |
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