Seasonal Variability of Phytoplankton Vertical Distribution in a Contrasted South Pacific Ocean From BioGeoChemical‐Argo Profiling Floats
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The seasonal variability of phytoplankton vertical distribution is investigated in the South Pacific where observations are scarce and scattered. We used 13 BioGeoChemical‐Argo floats deployed across diverse oceanic environments. The seasonal latitudinal displacement of the Tasman front induces transitions from mesotrophic to oligotrophic conditions. This shift results in Chlorophyll‐a concentration vertical distribution changing from bloom types to Subsurface Chlorophyll Maxima (SCM) types, with intermediate hybrid types between these extremes. Such hybrid profiles frequently occur in the equatorial Pacific, highlighting a large‐scale pattern rather than local island mass effect. In oligotrophic regions, seasonal variations of light availability and stratification dynamics below the mixed layer likely relate SCM to an increase in carbon biomass or photoacclimation. A biomass increase is frequently observed, contrary to previous studies, suggesting that subsurface phytoplankton biomass may have been largely underestimated. This calls for further observations of the water column in these remote undersampled open ocean areas.
Source: Geophysical Research Letters
DOI: 10.1029/2024gl114262
Institutions: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Ifremer, Université de Bretagne Occidentale, Laboratory for Ocean Physics and Satellite Remote Sensing, Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Sorbonne Université, Laboratoire d’Océanographie de Villefranche, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, University of Washington, NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, Observatoire des sciences de l'Univers Paris-Centre Ecce Terra
Language: English
Subfield: Oceanography
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,190
Funders: National Science Foundation, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, European Commission, Agence Nationale de la Recherche, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Région Bretagne, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Global Ocean Monitoring and Observing Program, H2020 European Research Council, NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory
Awards: G1190173965, ARGO-2030, G434337789, Collaborative Research: Multi-Platform Approach to Evaluate Spring Bloom Timing and Carbon Export Processes in the North Atlantic Ocean, Collaborative Research: Multi-Platform Approach to Evaluate Spring Bloom Timing and Carbon Export Processes in the North Atlantic Ocean, Robots Explore plankton-driven Fluxes in the marine twIlight zoNE
OpenAlex ID: W4414298283