Exploring Possible Influence of Dust Episodes on Surface Marine Chlorophyll Concentrations
Desert dust deposition is thought to act as fertilizer for phytoplankton growth, since it is rich in the required nutrients. The Mediterranean Sea is a nutrient poor marine environment—with its eastern part being the most oligotrophic—which is subject to dust transport. The Helle...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2019-02-01
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| Series: | Journal of Marine Science and Engineering |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/7/2/50 |
| _version_ | 1818615627463524352 |
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| author | Dionysia Kotta Dimitra Kitsiou |
| author_facet | Dionysia Kotta Dimitra Kitsiou |
| author_sort | Dionysia Kotta |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Desert dust deposition is thought to act as fertilizer for phytoplankton growth, since it is rich in the required nutrients. The Mediterranean Sea is a nutrient poor marine environment—with its eastern part being the most oligotrophic—which is subject to dust transport. The Hellenic Seas are part of this low-nutrient, low-chlorophyll environment and they are also affected by dust deposition events. Thus, the dust fertilizing effect can be particularly important, especially during the stratification period, when the nutrients needed for phytoplankton growth are not imported from deeper layers. Some individual dust events are examined here in respect of their possible influence on phytoplankton, through the observed variations of satellite derived chlorophyll concentrations. Two strong dust events that were also extreme weather events and three events in the June⁻September stratification period are examined for the Hellenic Seas as well as a strong dust event in the Central Mediterranean Sea. The results, only when based on absolute chlorophyll differences above 50%, show that dust events seem to favour phytoplankton abundance mainly during the low productive period; however, these differences are area-limited. The difficulty of reaching safe results through specific dust events and discriminating between other meteorological factors favouring phytoplankton growth are also discussed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T16:36:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-edf0f74f91cc4c559e8e29eca0941fd8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1312 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T16:36:55Z |
| publishDate | 2019-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Marine Science and Engineering |
| spelling | doaj.art-edf0f74f91cc4c559e8e29eca0941fd82022-12-21T22:24:27ZengMDPI AGJournal of Marine Science and Engineering2077-13122019-02-01725010.3390/jmse7020050jmse7020050Exploring Possible Influence of Dust Episodes on Surface Marine Chlorophyll ConcentrationsDionysia Kotta0Dimitra Kitsiou1Marine Section, Hellenic National Meteorological Service, El. Venizelou 14, 16777 Hellinikon, GreeceDepartment of Marine Sciences, School of the Environment, University of the Aegean, University Hill, 81100 Mytilene, GreeceDesert dust deposition is thought to act as fertilizer for phytoplankton growth, since it is rich in the required nutrients. The Mediterranean Sea is a nutrient poor marine environment—with its eastern part being the most oligotrophic—which is subject to dust transport. The Hellenic Seas are part of this low-nutrient, low-chlorophyll environment and they are also affected by dust deposition events. Thus, the dust fertilizing effect can be particularly important, especially during the stratification period, when the nutrients needed for phytoplankton growth are not imported from deeper layers. Some individual dust events are examined here in respect of their possible influence on phytoplankton, through the observed variations of satellite derived chlorophyll concentrations. Two strong dust events that were also extreme weather events and three events in the June⁻September stratification period are examined for the Hellenic Seas as well as a strong dust event in the Central Mediterranean Sea. The results, only when based on absolute chlorophyll differences above 50%, show that dust events seem to favour phytoplankton abundance mainly during the low productive period; however, these differences are area-limited. The difficulty of reaching safe results through specific dust events and discriminating between other meteorological factors favouring phytoplankton growth are also discussed.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/7/2/50ocean color satellite dataphytoplanktonHellenic SeasAegean SeaIonian SeaCentral MediterraneanLow-Nutrient Low-Chlorophyll (LNLC) Marine AreasGeographic Information System (GIS) |
| spellingShingle | Dionysia Kotta Dimitra Kitsiou Exploring Possible Influence of Dust Episodes on Surface Marine Chlorophyll Concentrations Journal of Marine Science and Engineering ocean color satellite data phytoplankton Hellenic Seas Aegean Sea Ionian Sea Central Mediterranean Low-Nutrient Low-Chlorophyll (LNLC) Marine Areas Geographic Information System (GIS) |
| title | Exploring Possible Influence of Dust Episodes on Surface Marine Chlorophyll Concentrations |
| title_full | Exploring Possible Influence of Dust Episodes on Surface Marine Chlorophyll Concentrations |
| title_fullStr | Exploring Possible Influence of Dust Episodes on Surface Marine Chlorophyll Concentrations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring Possible Influence of Dust Episodes on Surface Marine Chlorophyll Concentrations |
| title_short | Exploring Possible Influence of Dust Episodes on Surface Marine Chlorophyll Concentrations |
| title_sort | exploring possible influence of dust episodes on surface marine chlorophyll concentrations |
| topic | ocean color satellite data phytoplankton Hellenic Seas Aegean Sea Ionian Sea Central Mediterranean Low-Nutrient Low-Chlorophyll (LNLC) Marine Areas Geographic Information System (GIS) |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/7/2/50 |
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