Journal
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
Volume 20, Issue 7, Pages 2117-2123Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12457
Keywords
chlorophyll; Northeast Atlantic; northern hemisphere temperature; ocean colour; phytoplankton variability
Funding
- NERC [SAH01001, NE/L002663/1, pml010008, pml010009] Funding Source: UKRI
- Natural Environment Research Council [pml010009, NE/L002663/1, pml010008, SAH01001] Funding Source: researchfish
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Changes in phytoplankton dynamics influence marine biogeochemical cycles, climate processes, and food webs, with substantial social and economic consequences. Large-scale estimation of phytoplankton biomass was possible via ocean colour measurements from two remote sensing satellites - the Coastal Zone Colour Scanner (CZCS, 1979-1986) and the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS, 1998-2010). Due to the large gap between the two satellite eras and differences in sensor characteristics, comparison of the absolute values retrieved from the two instruments remains challenging. Using a unique in situ ocean colour dataset that spans more than half a century, the two satellite-derived chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) eras are linked to assess concurrent changes in phytoplankton variability and bloom timing over the Northeast Atlantic Ocean and North Sea. Results from this unique re-analysis reflect a clear increasing pattern of Chl-a, a merging of the two seasonal phytoplankton blooms producing a longer growing season and higher seasonal biomass, since the mid-1980s. The broader climate plays a key role in Chl-a variability as the ocean colour anomalies parallel the oscillations of the Northern Hemisphere Temperature (NHT) since 1948.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available