Mdutyana M, Xin Sun, Jessica Burger, Raquel Flynn, Shantelle Smith, Van Horsten N., Roychoudhury A. N., Dr Hélène Planquette, Dr Eva Bucciarelli, Thomalla S.J., Bess Ward, Dr Sarah Fawcett
Abstract

Central to the Southern Ocean’s role in setting atmospheric CO2 is the seasonal alternation between upward mixing of nutrients and their subsequent consumption by phytoplankton. Active nutrient cycling within the mixed layer, including the release of ammonium (NH4+) and its removal by phytoplankton and nitrifiers, also affects Southern Ocean CO2 drawdown, yet remains poorly understood. We conducted kinetics experiments across the Southern Ocean south of Africa to investigate the dependence of NH4+ uptake (summer, winter) and oxidation (winter) on NH4+ concentration. NH4+ uptake followed a Michaelis–Menten function in both seasons, with the maximum rate (Vmax) decreasing poleward, apparently controlled mainly by light in winter and temperature in summer. The half-saturation constant (Km) increased poleward with increasing ambient NH4+ ([NH4+]amb) and was threefold higher in winter (150–405 nM) than in summer (41–115 nM), suggesting that summertime phytoplankton are adapted to low-NH4+ conditions while winter communities typically receive a higher NH4+ supply. NH4+ oxidation showed a high affinity for NH4+ (Km = 28–137 nM), suggesting a dominant role for ammonia-oxidizing archaea, and followed a Michaelis–Menten curve only when [NH4+]amb was ≤ 90 nM. Vmax was near-constant across the region regardless of [NH4+]amb, temperature, or light. From coincident mixed-layer NH4+ oxidation and iron measurements, we hypothesize that iron availability may (co-)limit the Vmax of NH4+ oxidation. If verified, this suggestion has implications for models that parameterize nitrification as a linear function of [NH4+]amb. Additionally, iron depletion may limit the role of mixed-layer nitrification, which is dominant in the winter Southern Ocean, in offsetting phytoplankton CO2 drawdown annually.

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(a) Depth-profile (0–75 m) rates (Sta. 08–11) of NH4+ uptake vs. the coincident dissolved iron concentrations, (b) NH4+ uptake rates vs. the concurrently measured NH4+ oxidation rates at the depth-profile stations (0–75 m; filled symbols, left y-axis) and wintertime Vmax or Vavg derived for NH4+ uptake vs. NH4+ oxidation at kinetics Sta. 01–05 (open symbols; right y-axis). Also shown are (c) depth-profile (0–75 m) rates of NH4+ oxidation vs. the dissolved iron concentrations. Error bars show the standard error of replicate experiments and collections, each measured at least twice.

Van Horsten. 2016, Dr Hélène Planquette, Dr Géraldine Sarthou, Ryan-Keogh T J, Dr Nolwenn Lemaitre, Mtshali T., Roychoudhury A. N., Dr Eva Bucciarelli
Abstract

The Southern Ocean (SO) is of global importance to the carbon cycle, and processes such as mesopelagic remineralisation that impact the efficiency of the biological carbon pump in this region need to be better constrained. During this study early austral winter barium excess (Baxs) concentrations were measured for the first time, along 30◦ E in the southern Indian Ocean. Winter Baxs concentrations of 59 to 684 pmol/L were comparable to those observed throughout other seasons. The expected decline of the mesopelagic Baxs signal to background values during winter was not observed, supporting the hypothesis that this remineralisation proxy likely has a longer timescale than previously reported. A compilation of available SO mesopelagic Baxs data, including data from this study, shows an accumulation rate of ∼ 0.9 μmol/m2/d from September to July that correlates with temporally integrated remotely sensed primary productivity (PP) throughout the SO from data spanning ∼ 20 years, advocating for a possible annual timescale of this proxy. The percentage of mesopelagic particulate organic carbon (POC) remineralisation as calculated from estimated POC remineralisation fluxes over integrated remotely sensed PP was ∼ 2- fold higher south of the polar front (19 ± 15 %, n = 39) than north of the polar front (10 ± 10 %, n = 29), revealing the higher surface carbon export efficiency further south. By linking integrated remotely sensed PP to mesopelagic Baxs stock, we could obtain better estimates of carbon export and remineralisation signals within the SO on annual and basin scales.

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Integrated mesopelagic Baxs stock plotted against integrated remotely sensed PP from the preceding September up to one month prior to sampling, all available literature data and winter data from this study, (a) South of the PF (SPF, black squares) and (b) North of the PF (NPF, black circles). Red open squares are data points from our winter dataset where there was not sufficient remote sensing PP data to integrate up to 1 month prior to sampling and available data up to 3 months prior to sampling was plotted but not included in the statistical analysis.

Arias, P. A., et al., , Monteiro, P.M.S. (CA)
Abstract

The Working Group I (WGI) contribution to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) assesses the physical science basis of climate change. As part of that contribution, this Technical Summary (TS) is designed to bridge between the comprehensive assessment of the WGI Chapters and its Summary for Policymakers (SPM). It is primarily built from the Executive Summaries of the individual chapters and Atlas and provides a synthesis of key findings based on multiple lines of evidence (e.g., analyses of observations, models, paleoclimate information and understanding of physical, chemical and biological processes and components of the climate system). All the findings and figures here are supported by and traceable to the underlying

TS chapters, with relevant chapter sections indicated in curly brackets.

Throughout this Technical Summary, key assessment findings are reported using the IPCC calibrated uncertainty language (Chapter 1, Box 1.1). Two calibrated approaches are used to communicate the degree of certainty in key findings, which are based on author teams’ evaluations of underlying scientific understanding:

  1. 1)  Confidence is a qualitative measure of the validity of a finding, based on the type, amount, quality and consistency of evidence (e.g., data, mechanistic understanding, theory, models, expert judgment) and the degree of agreement.
  2. 2)  Likelihood provides a quantified measure of confidence in a finding expressed probabilistically (e.g., based on statistical analysis of observations or model results, or both, and expert judgement by the author team or from a formal quantitative survey of expert views, or both).
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Canadell, J.G, P.M.S. Monteiro, et al.
Abstract

The physical and biogeochemical controls of greenhouse gases (GHGs) is a  central motivation for this chapter, which identifies biogeochemical feedbacks that have led or could lead to a  future acceleration, slowdown or abrupt transitions in the rate of GHG accumulation in the atmosphere, and therefore of climate change. A  characterization of the trends and feedbacks lead to improved quantification for the remaining carbon budgets for climate stabilization, and the responses of the carbon cycle to atmospheric carbon dioxide removal (CDR), which is embedded in many of the mitigation scenarios, to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. Changes in the abundance of well-mixed GHGs –  carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) – in the atmosphere play a large role in determining the Earth’s radiative properties and its climate in the past, the present and the future (Chapters  2, 4, 6 and 7). Since 1950, the increase in atmospheric GHGs has been the dominant cause of the human-induced climate change (Section 3.3). While the main driver of changes in atmospheric GHGs over the past 200 years relates to the direct emissions from human activities, the net accumulation of GHGs in the atmosphere is controlled by biogeochemical source-sink dynamics of carbon that exchange between multiple reservoirs on land, oceans and atmosphere. The combustion of fossil fuels and land-use change for the period 1750–2019 released an estimated 700 ± 75 PgC (1 PgC = 1015 g of carbon) into the atmosphere, of which less than half remains in the atmosphere today (Sections  5.2.1.2; 5.2.1.5) (Friedlingstein et al., 2020). This emphasizes the central role of terrestrial and ocean CO2 sinks in regulating its atmospheric concentration (Ballantyne et al., 2012; W. Li et al., 2016; Le Quéré et al., 2018a; Ciais et al., 2019; Gruber et al., 2019b; Friedlingstein et al., 2020).

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François Engelbrecht, Pedro M. S. Monteiro
Abstract

The release of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Assessment Report Six (AR6) Working Group I (WG1) report in August 2021 brought to completion what is arguably the most thorough and scrutinised assessment of climate knowledge needed to steer the planet away from dangerous and irreversible climate change.1 The AR6 WG1 report builds on the Assessment Report Five WG1 report published in 2013, as well as on three special reports commissioned during the AR6 cycle: the Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 °C (SR1.5), the Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate, and the Special Report on Climate Change and Land. The AR6 WG1 report as such does not come up with fundamentally new insights into the planet’s coupled carbon-climate systems, but through its assessment of ~14 000 publications and response to 78 000 review comments, it provides an unprecedented level of confidence to earlier findings. What it reveals is that there have been critical methodological advances in both observation and modelling that have enabled improved levels of confidence2 and opened doors for new science on global and regional climate-carbon challenges. These improved confidence levels are necessary to support the deeply transformative global, and South African, decision-making towards net zero CO2 emissions by 2050 in support of restricting global warming to below 1.5 °C relative to the pre-industrial temperatures.3,4 Our Commentary focuses on the assessment of the global climate-carbon system with implications for adaptation and mitigation action in southern Africa, and we provide a view of new research opportunities for regional climate and sustainability science.

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This publication summarizes the climate and carbon assessment from the IPCC WG1 (The Physical Science of Climate) with a focus on Southern Africa

Laique M. Djeutchouang, Nicolette Chang, Luke Gregor, M Vichi, Pedro M. S. Monteiro
Abstract

The Southern Ocean is a complex system yet is sparsely sampled in both space and time. These factors raise questions about the confidence in present sampling strategies and associated machine learning (ML) reconstructions. Previous studies have not yielded a clear understanding of the origin of uncertainties and biases for the reconstructions of the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) at the surface ocean (). We examine these questions through a series of semi-idealized observing system simulation experiments (OSSEs) using a high-resolution (± 10 km) coupled physical and biogeochemical model (NEMO-PISCES, Nucleus for European Modelling of the Ocean, Pelagic Interactions Scheme for Carbon and Ecosystem Studies). Here we choose 1 year of the model sub-domain of 10∘ of latitude (40–50∘ S) by 20∘ of longitude (10∘ W–10∘ E). This domain is crossed by the sub-Antarctic front and thus includes both the sub-Antarctic zone and the polar frontal zone in the south-east Atlantic Ocean, which are the two most sampled sub-regions of the Southern Ocean. We show that while this sub-domain is small relative to the Southern Ocean scales, it is representative of the scales of variability we aim to examine. The OSSEs simulated the observational scales of in ways that are comparable to existing ocean CO2 observing platforms (ships, Wave Gliders, carbon floats, Saildrones) in terms of their temporal sampling scales and not necessarily their spatial ones. The pCO2 reconstructions were carried out using a two-member ensemble approach that consisted of two machine learning (ML) methods, (1) the feed-forward neural network and (2) the gradient boosting machines. The baseline data were from the ship-based simulations mimicking ship-based observations from the Surface Ocean CO2 Atlas (SOCAT). For each of the sampling-scale scenarios, we applied the two-member ensemble method to reconstruct the full sub-domain . The reconstruction skill was then assessed through a statistical comparison of reconstructed and the model domain mean. The analysis shows that uncertainties and biases for reconstructions are very sensitive to both the spatial and the temporal scales of pCO2 sampling in the model domain. The four key findings from our investigation are as follows: (1) improving ML-based pCO2 reconstructions in the Southern Ocean requires simultaneous high-resolution observations (<3 d) of the seasonal cycle of the meridional gradients of ; (2) Saildrones stand out as the optimal platforms to simultaneously address these requirements; (3) Wave Gliders with hourly/daily resolution in pseudo-mooring mode improve on carbon floats (10 d period), which suggests that sampling aliases from the 10 d sampling period might have a greater negative impact on their uncertainties, biases, and reconstruction means; and (4) the present seasonal sampling biases (towards summer) in SOCAT data in the Southern Ocean may be behind a significant winter bias in the reconstructed seasonal cycle of pCO2-ocean.

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This publication uses a high resolution forced ocean model to examine the sensitivity of ocean pCO2 reconstruction biases and errors to the match or mismatch between in situ variability and sampling period.

 

 

Dr Ryan Cloete, Dr Jean C. Loock, Van Horsten N., Dr Jan-Lukas Menzel Barraqueta, Fietz S., Mtshali T., Dr Hélène Planquette, Dr M. I. Garcia-Ibanez, Roychoudhury A. N.
Abstract

First winter measurements of dissolved zinc (dZn) and particulate zinc (pZn) are presented from seven stations, between 41 and 58°S, occupied in July 2017 along the 30°E longitude in the Indian Sector of the Southern Ocean. This unique spatial and seasonal dataset provided the opportunity to investigate Zn biogeochemical cycling in a region which is extremely data scarce and during a period when conditions are unfavourable for phytoplankton growth. Surface comparisons of our winter dZn and pZn to previous measurements during spring and summer revealed that Zn seasonality is most pronounced at the higher latitudes where higher dZn (and higher ratios of dZn to phosphate; dZn:PO4) and lower pZn in winter reflect decreased biological uptake and preferential dZn resupply (relative to PO4) to surface waters through deep winter mixing. The composition of pZn was majorly biogenic however localised lithogenic inputs were attributed to potential hydrothermal activity and transport of continental sediment via Agulhas waters. Calculated vertical attenuation factors (b values) for pZn (0.31) and phosphorus (P; 0.41) suggest that Zn has a longer remineralisation length scale than P, providing a mechanism as to why dZn appears to be remineralised deeper in the water column than PO4. Ratios of pZn to P (pZn:P) in surface waters increased with latitude from 1.12 to 8.28 mmol mol−1 due to increased dZn availability and the dominance of diatoms (with high cellular Zn quotas) in the high latitude Antarctic Zone (AAZ). Interestingly, the high surface pZn:P ratios in the AAZ did not change significantly with depth (in contrast to the northern stations where pZn:P increased with depth) suggesting the export of diatom cells below the winter mixed layer where remineralisation and rigorous mixing may resolve the linear dZn to silicic acid (dZn:Si(OH)4) correlation (dZn (nmol kg−1) = 0.064 Si(OH)4 (μmol kg−1) + 0.690; r2 = 0.93; n = 120) despite these elements being located in separate components of the diatom cell. Additionally, elevated concentrations of dZn and Si(OH)4 below 3000 m in the AAZ may reflect nutrient accumulation in bottom waters where northward flow is inhibited by the Indian mid-Ocean ridge.

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Surface water (~25 m) dZn, pZn, pZn:P, dFe and Si(OH)4 across the transect.

Dr Ryan Cloete, Dr Jean C. Loock, Van Horsten N., Fietz S., Mtshali T., Dr Hélène Planquette, Roychoudhury A. N.
Abstract

Winter distributions of dissolved cadmium (dCd) and particulate cadmium (pCd) were measured for the first time in the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean thereby contributing a unique spatial and seasonal dataset. Seven depth profiles, between 41°S and 58°S, were collected along the 30°E longitude during the 2017 austral winter to investigate the biogeochemical cycling of cadmium during a period characterized by contrasting upper water column dynamics compared to summer. Our results support an important role for biological uptake during winter months albeit weaker compared to summer. Distinct, biologically driven changes in cadmium cycling across the transect were observed. For example, surface ratios of pCd to phosphorus (P; pCd:P) increased from 0.37 to 1.07 mmol mol–1 between the subtropical zone (STZ) and the Antarctic zone (AAZ) reflecting increased Cd requirements for diatoms at higher latitudes which, in turn, was driven by a complex relationship between the availability of dCd and dissolved iron (dFe), zinc (dZn) and manganese (dMn). Vertical profiles of pCd:P displayed near-surface maxima consistent with (1) P occurring in two phases with different labilities and the lability of Cd being somewhere in-between and (2) increasing dCd to phosphate (PO4; dCd:PO4) ratios with depth at each station. North of the Antarctic Polar Front (APF), a secondary, deeper pCd:P maximum may reflect an advective signal associated with northward subducting Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW). The strong southward increase in surface dCd and dCd:PO4, from approximately 10–700 pmol kg–1 and 40–400 μmol mol–1, respectively, reflected the net effect of preferential uptake and regeneration of diatoms with high Cd content and the upwelling of Cd enriched water masses in the AAZ. Furthermore, distinct dCd versus PO4 relationships were observed in each of the intermediate and deep water masses suggesting that dCd and PO4 distributions at depth are largely the result of physical water mass mixing.

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Section plots of (A) dCd, (B) PO4 overlain by salinity, (C) pCd and (D) P. Each figure is separated into upper 1,000 m (upper panel) and below 1,000 m (bottom panel). Frontal positions, corresponding zones and water masses are shown.

Dr Charlotte M. Robinson, Dr Yannick Huot, Dr Nina Schuback, Ryan-Keogh T J, Thomalla S.J., Prof David Antoine
Abstract

Studying the biogeochemistry of the Southern Ocean using remote sensing relies on accurate interpretation of ocean colour through bio-optical and biogeochemical relationships between quantities and properties of interest. During the Antarctic Circumnavigation Expedition of the 2016/2017Austral Summer, we collected a spatially comprehensive dataset of phytoplankton pigment concentrations, particulate absorption and particle size distribution and compared simple bio-optical and particle property relationships as a function of chlorophyll a. Similar to previous studies we find that the chlorophyll-specific phytoplankton absorption coefficient is significantly lower than in other oceans at comparable chlorophyll concentrations. This appears to be driven in part by lower concentrations of accessory pigments per unit chlorophyll a as well as increased pigment packaging due to relatively larger sized phytoplankton at low chlorophyll a than is typically observed in other oceans. We find that the contribution of microphytoplankton (>20 µm size) to chlorophyll a estimates of phytoplankton biomass is significantly higher than expected for the given chlorophyll a concentration, especially in higher latitudes south of the Southern Antarctic Circumpolar Current Front. Phytoplankton pigments are more packaged in larger cells, which resulted in a flattening of phytoplankton spectra as measured in these samples when compared to other ocean regions with similar chlorophyll a concentration. Additionally, we find that at high latitude locations in the Southern Ocean, pheopigment concentrations can exceed mono-vinyl chlorophyll a concentrations. Finally, we observed very different relationships between particle volume and chlorophyll a concentrations in high and low latitude Southern Ocean waters, driven by differences in phytoplankton community composition and acclimation to environmental conditions and varying contribution of non-algal particles to the particulate matter. Our data confirm that, as previously suggested, the relationships between bio-optical properties and chlorophyll a in the Southern Ocean are different to other oceans. In addition, distinct bio-optical properties were evident between high and low latitude regions of the Southern Ocean basin. Here we provide a region-specific set of power law functions describing the phytoplankton absorption spectrum as a function of chlorophyll a.

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Map of underway sampling points during ACE legs 1-3, colourmapped with [Tchla]
(sum of monovinyl-chlorophyll a, divinyl-chlorophyll a, chlorophyll a epimers, chlorophyll
a isomers and chlorophyllide a concentrations). Grey points indicate location of samples
extracted from the NOMAD dataset. Red points indicate island locations. Locations of
the major fronts along the track identified in situ data are marked with ’X’ markers.
Dashed lines in background are the climatological positions of the major Southern Ocean fronts from Orsi et al. [33]. STF = Subtropical Front, SAF = Subantarctic Front, PF = Polar Front, SACCF = Southern Antarctic Circumpolar Current Front.

Dr Nina Schuback, Prof. Phillipe D. Tortell, Others, Ryan-Keogh T J, Thomalla S.J., et al.
Abstract

Phytoplankton photosynthetic physiology can be investigated through single-turnover variable chlorophyll fluorescence (ST-ChlF) approaches, which carry unique potential to autonomously collect data at high spatial and temporal resolution. Over the past decades, significant progress has been made in the development and application of ST-ChlF methods in aquatic ecosystems, and in the interpretation of the resulting observations. At the same time, however, an increasing number of sensor types, sampling protocols, and data processing algorithms have created confusion and uncertainty among potential users, with a growing divergence of practice among different research groups. In this review, we assist the existing and upcoming user community by providing an overview of current approaches and consensus recommendations for the use of ST-ChlF measurements to examine in- situ phytoplankton productivity and photo-physiology. We argue that a consistency of practice and adherence to basic operational and quality control standards is critical to ensuring data inter-comparability. Large datasets of inter-comparable and globally coherent ST-ChlF observations hold the potential to reveal large-scale patterns and trends in phytoplankton photo-physiology, photosynthetic rates and bottom-up controls on primary productivity. As such, they hold great potential to provide invaluable physiological observations on the scales relevant for the development and validation of ecosystem models and remote sensing algorithms.

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The three energy pathway concept and ChlF transients from typical single turnover (ST) protocols.

Dr Hanna M. Kauko, Dr Tore Hattermann, Ryan-Keogh T J, Singh A., Dr Laura de Steur, Dr Agneta Frannson, Dr Melissa Chierici, Dr Tone Falkenburg, Dr Elvar H. Hallfredsson, Dr Gunnar Bratbak, Dr Tatiana Tsagaraki, Dr Terje Berge
Abstract

Knowing the magnitude and timing of pelagic primary production is important for ecosystem and carbon sequestration studies, in addition to providing basic understanding of phytoplankton functioning. In this study we use data from an ecosystem cruise to Kong Håkon VII Hav, in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean, in March 2019 and more than two decades of satellite-derived ocean color to study phytoplankton bloom phenology. During the cruise we observed phytoplankton blooms in different bloom phases. By correlating bloom phenology indices (i.e., bloom initiation and end) based on satellite remote sensing to the timing of changes in environmental conditions (i.e., sea ice, light, and mixed layer depth) we studied the environmental factors that seemingly drive phytoplankton blooms in the area. Our results show that blooms mainly take place in January and February, consistent with previous studies that include the area. Sea ice retreat controls the bloom initiation in particular along the coast and the western part of the study area, whereas bloom end is not primarily connected to sea ice advance. Light availability in general is not appearing to control the bloom termination, neither is nutrient availability based on the autumn cruise where we observed non-depleted macronutrient reservoirs in the surface. Instead, we surmise that zooplankton grazing plays a potentially large role to end the bloom, and thus controls its duration. The spatial correlation of the highest bloom magnitude with marked topographic features indicate that the interaction of ocean currents with sea floor topography enhances primary productivity in this area, probably by natural fertilization. Based on the bloom timing and magnitude patterns, we identified five different bloom regimes in the area. A more detailed understanding of the region will help to highlight areas with the highest relevance for the carbon cycle, the marine ecosystem and spatial management. With this gained understanding of bloom phenology, it will also be possible to study potential shifts in bloom timing and associated trophic mismatch caused by environmental changes.

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(A) Chl a concentration during the cruise, as obtained from calibrated in situ fluorescence profiles and underway fluorescence measurements. St. 53, station 53; 6◦E tr., 6◦E transect. (B) Mean Chl a profiles of Astrid Ridge and Maud Rise stations and the profile from station 53. The magenta star shows the MLD (mean for Astrid Ridge and Maud Rise).

Ryan-Keogh T J, Dr Charlotte M. Robinson
Abstract

The uptake and application of single turnover chlorophyll fluorometers to the study of phytoplankton ecosystem status and microbial functions has grown considerably in the last two decades. However, standardization of measurement protocols, processing of fluorescence transients and quality control of derived photosynthetic parameters is still lacking and makes community goals of large global databases of high-quality data unrealistic. We introduce the Python package Phytoplankton Photophysiology Utilities (PPU), an adaptable and open-source interface between Fast Repetition Rate and Fluorescence Induction and Relaxation instruments and python. The PPU package includes a variety of functions for the loading, processing and quality control of single turnover fluorescence transients from many commercially available instruments. PPU provides the user with greater flexibility in the application of the Kolber-Prasil- Falkowski model; tools for plotting, quality control, correcting instrument biases and high-throughput processing with ease; and a greater appreciation for the uncertainties in derived photosynthetic parameters. Using data from three research cruises across different biogeochemical regimes, we provide example applications of PPU to fit raw active chlorophyll-a fluorescence data from three commercial instruments and demonstrate tools which help to reduce uncertainties in the final fitted parameters.
Keywords:

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Schematic overview of the functions available within Phytoplankton Photophysiology Utilities.

Ryan-Keogh T J, Walker O. Smith Jr.
Abstract

The Ross Sea is one of the most productive regions in the Southern Ocean, with a significant role in carbon cycling as well as the massive abundance of higher trophic levels. The seasonal cycle is well established with an early summer Phaeocystis antarctica bloom that declines followed by a diatom bloom in late summer. This seasonal progression of the phytoplankton has been linked to the availability of iron in the mixed layer. Investigating the temporal progression of iron limitation is often limited by both the decreased sampling resolution from traditional platforms, such as ships, and the lack of regular deployments of specific sensors that can measure phytoplankton physiology. Through the use of a novel technique that uses the degree of quenching (NPQGlider), determined from a standard fluorometer deployed on a buoyancy glider, a proxy for iron limitation, αNPQ, was calculated for a glider time series in the Ross Sea from December 2011 to February 2012. Surface chlorophyll concentrations indicated that there were four stages: the first being a pre-bloom phase, the second in which phytoplankton growth was rapid, resulting in the accumulation of biomass; the third in which biomass in the surface layer decreased, and the fourth in which chlorophyll concentrations remained low but the POC:Chl ratio increased. The levels of NPQGlider in this region were much higher compared to other Southern Ocean regions, with the highest levels in the third phase. Similarly, αNPQ remained low throughout most of the time series except for the transition from the second to third phase when the surface biomass decreases. The increase in POC:Chl ratios in the final phase combined with the low values of αNPQ suggest the switch from a Phaeocystis antarctica bloom to a potentially non-iron limited diatom bloom. These results confirm that the application of novel methodologies to proven and reliable sensors will provide a greater understanding of biogeochemical cycles and their controls throughout the ocean.

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Temporal progression of the αNPQ with (a) chlorophyll and (b) POC:Chl. synthesis

Emannuel Boss, Others, Thomalla S.J., et al
Abstract

Tracking how ocean life is responding to increased human use and climate change will empower the global community to predict, mitigate, and manage our ocean. In this document we demonstrate the existence of mature technologies to measure ‘biology’ as a combination of biomass and diversity indicators across the plankton size spectrum. These are now ready to deploy within the GO-SHIP constraints.

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Abstract

Chlorophyll fluorescence, primarily used to derive phytoplankton biomass, has long been an underutilized source of information on phytoplankton physiology. Diel fluctuations in chlorophyll fluorescence are affected by both photosynthetic efficiency and non-photochemical quenching (NPQ), where NPQ is a decrease in fluorescence through the dissipation of excess energy as heat. NPQ variability is linked to iron and light availability, and has the potential to provide important diagnostic information on phytoplankton physiology. Here we establish a relationship between NPQsv (Stern-Volmer NPQ) and indices of iron limitation from nutrient addition experiments in the sub-Antarctic zone (SAZ) of the Atlantic Southern Ocean, through the derivation of NPQmax (the maximum NPQsv value) and αNPQ (the light limited slope of NPQsv). Significant differences were found for both Fv/Fm and αNPQ for iron versus control treatments, with no significant differences for NPQmax. Similar results from CTDs indicated that changes in NPQ were driven by increasing light availability from late July to December, but by both iron and light from January to February. We propose here that variability in αNPQ, which has removed the effect of light availability, can potentially be used as a proxy for iron limitation (as shown here for the Atlantic SAZ), with higher values being associated with greater iron stress. This approach was transferred to data from a buoyancy glider deployment at the same location by utilizing the degree of fluorescence quenching as a proxy for NPQGlider, which was plotted against in situ light to determine αNPQ. Seasonal increases in αNPQ are consistent with increased light availability, shoaling of the mixed layer depth (MLD) and anticipated seasonal iron limitation. The transition from winter to summer, when positive net heat flux dominates stratification, was coincident with a 24% increase in αNPQ variability and a switch in the dominant driver from incident PAR to MLD. The dominant scales of αNPQ variability are consistent with fine scale variability in MLD and a significant positive relationship was observed between these two at a ∼10 day window. The results emphasize the important role of fine scale dynamics in driving iron supply, particularly in summer when this micronutrient is limiting.

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(A) A time-series of a 5-day rolling mean of αNPQ and MLD (m). (B) Correlation coefficients of rolling averages of αNPQ and MLD using different time windows (days).