(Table 2) Production characteristics of phytoplankton and selected related factors at bottle sampling stations in the subtropical and tropical Atlantic Ocean

DOI

In October and November 2002, high and relatively high values of chlorophyll a concentration at the sea surface (Cchl) were observed in the English Channel (0.47 mg/m3), in waters of the North Atlantic Current (0.25 mg/m3 ), in the tropical and subtropical anticyclonic gyres (0.07-0.42 mg/m3), and also in the southwestern region of the southern subtropical anticyclonic gyre (usually 0.11-0.23 mg/m3). The central regions of the southern subtropical anticyclonic gyre (SATG) and the North Atlantic tropical gyre (NATR) were characterized by lower values of Cchl (0.02-0.08 mg/m3 for the SATG and 0.07-0.14 mg/m3 for the NATR). At most of the SATG stations, values of surface primary production (Cphs) varied from 2.5 to 5.5 mg C/m3 per day and were mainly defined by fluctuations of Cchl (r = +0.78) rather than by those of the assimilation number (r = +0.54). Low assimilation activity of phytoplankton in these waters (1.3-4.6 mg chl a per hour) pointed to a lack of nutrients. Analysis of variability of their concentration and composition of photosynthetic pigments showed that, in waters north of 30°N, the growth of phytoplankton was mostly restricted by deficiency of nitrogen, while, in more southern areas, at the majority of stations (about 60%), phosphorus concentrations were minimal. At low concentrations of nitrates and nitrites, ammonium represented itself as a buffer that prevented planktonic algae from extreme degrees of nitric starvation. In tropical waters and in waters of the SATG, primary production throughout the water column varied from 240 to 380 mg C/m2 30° per day. This level of productivity at stations with low values of C chl (<0.08 mg/m**3) was provided by a well-developed deep chlorophyll maximum and high transparency of water. Light curves of photosynthesis based on in situ measurements point to high efficiency of utilizing penetrating solar radiation by phytoplankton on cloudy days.

Supplement to: Vedernikov, Vladimir I; Gagarin, Vladimir I; Demidov, A B; Burenkov, Vladimir I; Stunzhas, Pavel A (2007): Primary production and chlorophyll distributions in the subtropical and tropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean in the autumn of 2002. Oceanology, 47(3), 386-399

Identifier
DOI https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.726852
Related Identifier https://doi.org/10.1134/S0001437007030113
Metadata Access https://ws.pangaea.de/oai/provider?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=datacite4&identifier=oai:pangaea.de:doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.726852
Provenance
Creator Vedernikov, Vladimir I; Gagarin, Vladimir I; Demidov, A B (ORCID: 0000-0002-1370-079X); Burenkov, Vladimir I; Stunzhas, Pavel A
Publisher PANGAEA
Contributor P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow
Publication Year 2007
Rights Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
OpenAccess true
Representation
Language English
Resource Type Supplementary Dataset; Dataset
Format text/tab-separated-values
Size 157 data points
Discipline Earth System Research
Spatial Coverage (-39.285W, -32.858S, -20.000E, 24.500N); Atlantic Ocean
Temporal Coverage Begin 2002-10-22T00:00:00Z
Temporal Coverage End 2002-11-08T00:00:00Z