Increased blooms of a dinoflagellate in the NW Atlantic

Johns, DG; Edwards, Martin; Richardson, Anthony J.; Spicer, JI

doi:10.3354/meps265283

Cited by 31 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…Most phytoplankton taxa have been consistently identified and enumerated since 1958. The PCI has been extensively used to describe the seasonal and long-term patterns of phytoplankton abundance (Reid 1978, Batten et al 2003, Johns et al 2003 in various regions of the North Atlantic. An increasing trend in phytoplankton biomass has been shown in the North Sea and in the area west of the British Isles .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Differential contribution of diatoms and dinoflagellates to phytoplankton biomass in the NE Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea

Leterme¹,

Seuront²,

Edwards³

2006

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Sampling by the continuous plankton recorder (CPR) survey over the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea has enabled long-term studies of phytoplankton biomass. Analysis of an index of phytoplankton biomass, the phytoplankton colour index (PCI), has previously shown an increase in phytoplankton biomass in the NE Atlantic. In the current study, further investigations were conducted to determine the contribution of diatom and dinoflagellate cell counts to the PCI, their fluctuations over the last 45 yr and their geographical variations in the eastern North Atlantic and the North Sea. An increased contribution of dinoflagellates to the PCI was revealed over the south NE Atlantic and the northern North Sea. In contrast, the contribution of diatoms decreased in the north NE Atlantic and the northern North Sea. No discernible trends were found in the other regions of the North Sea. The relative contributions of diatoms and dinoflagellates to the PCI led to the identification of 3 geographically distinct dynamic regimes in the diatom/dinoflagellate dynamics in the NE Atlantic and the North Sea. Finally, it is stressed that the discrepancy observed in the patterns of PCI and diatom and dinoflagellate cell counts suggests that changes in PCI do not reflect changes in the community structure and that the exclusive use of PCI is not adequate to investigate the long-term trends in the trophic link between phytoplankton and herbivorous zooplankton.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Differential contribution of diatoms and dinoflagellates to phytoplankton biomass in the NE Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea

Leterme¹,

Seuront²,

Edwards³

2006

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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“…An advantage offered by this genus is that identification to species level is more feasible than for other phytoplanktonic groups, where it can be limited by the small size of the organisms or may require the use of electron microscopy and molecular tools. Moreover, Ceratium species are known to be sensitive to temperature in terms of biogeography (Dodge & Marshall 1994), seasonality and morphology (Sournia 1967), and have hence been proposed as biological indicators of water masses (Dodge 1993, Okolodkov 1996, Ochoa & Gómez 1997, Sanchez et al 2000, Raine et al 2002, current regimes (Dowidar 1973) and climate change (Dodge & Marshall 1994, Johns et al 2003. In the northwestern Mediterranean Sea, the genus is species-rich and often dominates the armoured dinoflagellates in terms of abundance (Tunin-Ley et al 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phytoplankton biodiversity and NW Mediterranean Sea warming: changes in the dinoflagellate genus Ceratium in the 20th century

Tunin‐Ley¹,

Ibañez²,

Labat³

et al. 2009

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Our knowledge of the response of phytoplankton to climate change is restricted by the lack of phytoplankton long-term studies, especially those reporting species data. To circumvent this problem, we combined recent data from sampling at monitoring sites with old bibliographic data. The study was conducted on the genus Ceratium (planktonic dinoflagellates) in the NW Mediterranean, as numerous studies have been conducted in the area since the beginning of the 20th century. In addition, species of this highly diverse genus are known to be particularly sensitive to water temperature, and should thus be responsive to global warming. The temporal distribution of Ceratium species over the last century showed a progressive disappearance from the surface layer of likely stenothermic species, which may have moved to deeper layers in response to water warming, along with a decrease of species richness during the annual cycle. Seasonal and phenological aspects of Ceratium assemblages were also affected, as illustrated by the earlier timing in the minimum of richness. A change in the overall species assemblage also occurred from past to present in the Ligurian Sea, suggesting a warming in this area consistent with the development in surface water temperatures. Our results suggest that Ceratium species may constitute good biological indicators of warming in the NW Mediterranean Sea. In addition, the present study showed the importance of time-series data and the value of historical literature as the basis for ecological studies of long-term trends needed to substantiate our current understanding of the impact of global change on marine biodiversity. KEY WORDS: Ceratium · Phytoplankton · Climate change · Long-term series · Mediterranean · Biodiversity · Biological indicator · Historical ecology Resale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisherMar Ecol Prog Ser 375: [85][86][87][88][89][90][91][92][93][94][95][96][97][98][99] 2009 Gentili 1996, Johnson 1997, Marbà & Duarte 1997, although periodic patterns such as the 22 to 25 yr period of solar activity may overlay the monotonic trends and mask them (Duarte et al. 1999). Nutrient concentrations, particularly phosphate and nitrogen, have also increased from the early 1960s, probably due to increasing atmospheric and terrestrial inputs, while concentration in silicate has remained relatively constant (Béthoux et al. 2002).Using different approaches, a number of studies have provided information on the temporal distribution of Mediterranean Sea phytoplankton (Duarte et al. 1999, Goffart et al. 2002, Marty et al. 2002, Gómez & Gorsky 2003, Bosc et al. 2004, Ribera d'Alcalà et al. 2004. Some of these studies show changes in phytoplankton in the NW Mediterranean in relation to climatic forcing. Pigment analysis over a decade revealed a positive trend in phytoplankton biomass in response to the lengthening of the summer stratification, accompanied by an increase of small-sized phytoplankton (picoplankton and nanoflagellates) able to support re...

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“…The Ceratium species are known from warm waters of the Tasman Sea (Hallegraeff et al 2010) and, considering the season, we suggest that the strengthening EAC was responsible for their appearance in southern Tasmania. The poleward extension of tropical and warmtemperate Ceratium species has been well documented in the Northern Hemisphere (Dodge and Marshall 1994;Johns et al 2003;Barnard et al 2004;Hays et al 2005;Edwards et al 2006), and it is predicted that subsequent expansions will occur into the future (Turin-Ley et al 2009). As Tasmania is expected to experience continued ocean warming into this century (Ridgway and Hill 2009), it follows that introductions of Ceratium, and perhaps other warm water species, will also be observed.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, specific examples of the impacts to fisheries that stem from recorded expansions of Ceratium species are in their infancy. One notable example from Johns et al (2003) concluded that the apparent displacement of diatoms due to the significant increase in C. arcticum in the North Sea, first noted in the 1990s, played a key role in the collapse of the Atlantic Cod fishery in the Grand Banks region of east Canada. This hypothesis is well supported (e.g., Beaugrand et al 2003;Beaugrand 2004;Hays et al 2005).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The creation of mixed communities and transitional zones are common impacts of changing oceanographic conditions. Research focussing on the biological implications stemming from the presence of warm-water species in cooler regions highlights possible declines in coolwater species (Scavia et al 2002;Beaugrand 2004;Turin-Ley et al 2009;Johnson et al 2011), declines in overall plankton diversity (Johns et al 2003;TurinLey et al 2009) and the potential reorganisation of plankton phenology, community structure and abundance (Hays et al 2005;Turin-Ley et al 2009). Regarding Tasmania specifically, Johnson et al (2011) suggests that population-level changes to commercially important invertebrates, such as abalone and rock lobster stocks, are of concern as Tasmanian plankton communities are modified.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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New evidence links changing shelf phytoplankton communities to boundary currents in southeast Tasmania

Buchanan

Swadling

Eriksen

et al. 2013

Rev Fish Biol Fisheries

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Southern Tasmanian shelf waters are host to the seasonal interplay of Australia's two poleward boundary currents; the East Australian Current (EAC) and the Leeuwin Current (LC). While the behaviour and properties of the LC remain underexplored, strong research focus has allowed insight into how an intensifying EAC has created greater subtropical influence, leading to changes in the physical and biological oceanography of the region. In this cool temperate setting seven species of dinoflagellates, all in the genus Ceratium, which are more typically associated with warm waters of eastern Australia, were observed. This coincided with the seasonal increase in the EAC's southward penetration beginning in October. Despite the seasonal peak in EAC activity, temperature-salinity plots, nutrient, chlorophyll a and phytoplankton concentrations all indicate the presence of subantarctic waters on the shelf and in coastal waters in summer. Our results are consistent with the description of the EAC as an erratic, eddy-driven current; this itself allowing the periodic influx of subantarctic waters across the shelf. In winter, temperature-salinity plots and nutrient concentrations indicate that the LC was present in southern shelf waters. In addition to its high nitrate signature, the LC displayed low silicate properties in southern Tasmania. Chlorophyll a concentrations revealed a distinct spring bloom event and an extended, productive summer, typical of temperate and subantarctic systems, respectively. This suggests the region is a transitional state between classic seasonal primary production cycles for temperate and subantarctic waters. This paper links changes in southern Tasmanian microphytoplankton communities to shelf ventilation by the EAC, the LC and subantarctic waters, and provides new insight into the oceanography of the region. Consequently, this study provides an awareness of potential phytoplankton perturbations that may be applied to other coastal cool temperate marine environments.

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Increased blooms of a dinoflagellate in the NW Atlantic

Cited by 31 publications

References 22 publications

Differential contribution of diatoms and dinoflagellates to phytoplankton biomass in the NE Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea

Differential contribution of diatoms and dinoflagellates to phytoplankton biomass in the NE Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea

Phytoplankton biodiversity and NW Mediterranean Sea warming: changes in the dinoflagellate genus Ceratium in the 20th century

New evidence links changing shelf phytoplankton communities to boundary currents in southeast Tasmania

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