Patterns in the size structure of the phytoplankton community in the deep fluorescence maximum of the Alboran Sea (southwestern mediterranean)

Rodrı́guez, Jaime; Blanco, José Ma; Jiménez‐Gómez, Francisco; Echevarrı́a, Fidel; Gil, José Luis Pérez; Rodrı́guez, Valeriano; Ruiz, Javier; Bautista, Begoña; Guerrero, Francisco

doi:10.1016/s0967-0637(98)00030-2

Cited by 83 publications

(54 citation statements)

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“…Nanoflagellates primarily occurred in MAW, confirming previous findings of higher abundances of the smallest fractions in nutrient-depleted surface waters (Claustre et al, 1994;Rodriguez et al, 1998;. Emiliania huxleyi and Gephyrocapsa oceanica were abundant in the AMI along the edges of the eddy, which agrees with their typical distribution in fronts and isopycnal mixing layers in the Western Mediterranean Sea (Estrada et al, 1999;Mercado et al, 2005;Massi et al, 2006).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

“…As shown in Figure 1 (top), Atlantic water enters the investigated area at Gibraltar and proceeds eastward as Modified Atlantic Water (MAW, S < 36.5 and T > 20 °C, Millot, 1999). It continues as a jet along the Spanish coast following an anticyclonic circulation, gradually mixing with the resident waters and producing subsequent mesoscale structures (Rodriguez et al, 1998;Morán & Estrada, 2001). It then turns southward as the Almeria-Oran jet, lying on top of the Levantine Intermediate Water (LIW, S > 37.5 and T < 15°C, Millot, 1999).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Cyclonic eddies are generally more productive than anticyclonic ones Rodriguez et al, 1998) and many authors have documented the abundance of Bacillariophyceae at upwelling waters in the Alboran Sea, in particular large and/or chain-forming genera like Chaetoceros, Guinardia, Leptocylindrus, Nitzschia, Proboscia, Pseudonizschia, Rhizosolenia, Thalassionema and Thalassiosira (Gould & Wiesenburg, 1990;Fiala et al, 1994;Rodriguez et al, 1998;Arin et al, 2002;Mercado et al, 2005) are reported. Conversely, anticyclonic eddies and low-nutrient MAW are generally dominated by nanoand picoplankton (Claustre et al, 1994;Fiala et al, 1994;Videau et al, 1994;Rodriguez et al, 1998;Jacquet et al, 2002;Massi et al, 2006;Nuccio et al, 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Conversely, anticyclonic eddies and low-nutrient MAW are generally dominated by nanoand picoplankton (Claustre et al, 1994;Fiala et al, 1994;Videau et al, 1994;Rodriguez et al, 1998;Jacquet et al, 2002;Massi et al, 2006;Nuccio et al, 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Fibrocapsa japonica (Raphidophyceae) occurrence and ecological features within the phytoplankton assemblage of a cyclonic eddy, offshore the Eastern Alboran Sea.

et al. 2014

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The Raphidophycean Fibrocapsa japonica Toriumi & Takano was detected for the first time offshore in the Eastern Alboran Sea (Western Mediterranean) in October 2006. Its distribution appeared very localised and atypical, as it was abundant only in the open waters of a cyclonic eddy. Microscope counts of the natural phytoplankton assemblages revealed that F. japonica was dominant in the microplankton, together with Dinophyceae, within and below the cyclonic nutrient-rich dome (25 - 30 m). Bacillariophyceae were the primary microplanktonic fraction in only a few samples. Moderately high abundances of F. japonica (maximum of 60 cells ml-1), with preliminary cysts and many cells aggregated in mucous nets, indicated a senescent phase. We also suggest a Mediterranean origin for this species. This was confirmed by molecular identification and by a water temperature of 15 °C, which could have favoured pre-cyst formation. Finally, we hypothesise that F. japonica, which is generally a coastal species, could have a coastal origin. Since F. japonica was confined to the cyclonic waters, which typically derive from coastal waters, it was collected at a depth of 40-60 m at the coastal sites and it is generally a coastal species, we hypothesise that it could have a coastal origin and it was entrapped by the cyclonic eddy, which could have carried offshore this harmful species.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Fibrocapsa japonica (Raphidophyceae) occurrence and ecological features within the phytoplankton assemblage of a cyclonic eddy, offshore the Eastern Alboran Sea.

et al. 2014

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“…An empirical calibration between relative side scatter (SSCrel) and cell diameter (D) following Zubkov et al [22] was used to estimate the individual cell biovolume (V ) of picophytoplankton cells. For the small nanophytoplankton, V was estimated using a calibration curve that relates the light scattering signal (forward scatter, FSC) to cell biovolume estimated by image analysis [23].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Isometric size-scaling of metabolic rate and the size abundance distribution of phytoplankton

et al. 2011

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The relationship between phytoplankton cell size and abundance has long been known to follow regular, predictable patterns in near steady-state ecosystems, but its origin has remained elusive. To explore the linkage between the size-scaling of metabolic rate and the size abundance distribution of natural phytoplankton communities, we determined simultaneously phytoplankton carbon fixation rates and cell abundance across a cell volume range of over six orders of magnitude in tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean. We found an approximately isometric relationship between carbon fixation rate and cell size (mean slope value: 1.16; range: 1.03-1.32), negating the idea that Kleiber's law is applicable to unicellular autotrophic protists. On the basis of the scaling of individual resource use with cell size, we predicted a reciprocal relationship between the size-scalings of phytoplankton metabolic rate and abundance. This prediction was confirmed by the observed slopes of the relationship between phytoplankton abundance and cell size, which have a mean value of 21.15 (range: 21.29 to 20.97), indicating that the size abundance distribution largely results from the size-scaling of metabolic rate. Our results imply that the total energy processed by carbon fixation is constant along the phytoplankton size spectrum in near steady-state marine ecosystems.

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Modulation of frontogenetic plankton production along a meandering jet by zonal wind forcing: An application to the Alboran Sea

2017

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We present a coupled physical‐biological modeling study to elucidate the changes in ageostrophic frontal dynamics and the frontogenetic plankton production characteristics of a meandering jet under the impacts of successive westerly/easterly wind events combined with seasonal variations in the upstream transport and buoyancy flux characteristics of the jet, using a case study for the Alboran Sea (Western Mediterranean). Their nonlinear coupling is shown to result in different forms of physical and biological characteristics of the background jet structure that follows a meandering path around two anticyclonic gyres in the western and eastern basins and a cyclonic eddy in between. The westerly, downfront wind events broaden the jet, and result in stronger cross‐frontal density contrast and intensify ageostrophic cross‐frontal secondary circulation. Thus, they improve the frontogenetic plankton production with respect to the no‐wind case. They also support higher production along the northern coast in response to wind‐induced coastal upwelling and spreading of resulting nutrient‐rich, productive water by mesoscale stirring. These features weaken gradually as the jet transport reduces. In contrast, stronger and longer‐lasting easterlies during the reduced jet transport phase weaken the currents and frontal density structure, change the circular Western Alboran Gyre to an elongated form, and shift the main axis of the jet towards the southern basin. Then, frontogenesis fails to contribute to phytoplankton production that becomes limited to the eddy pumping within cyclones. Apart from the frontogenetic production, eddy pumping, mesoscale stirring, and diapycnal mixing of nutrients support intermittent and localized phytoplankton patches over the basin.

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Patterns in the size structure of the phytoplankton community in the deep fluorescence maximum of the Alboran Sea (southwestern mediterranean)

Cited by 83 publications

References 0 publications

Fibrocapsa japonica (Raphidophyceae) occurrence and ecological features within the phytoplankton assemblage of a cyclonic eddy, offshore the Eastern Alboran Sea.

Fibrocapsa japonica (Raphidophyceae) occurrence and ecological features within the phytoplankton assemblage of a cyclonic eddy, offshore the Eastern Alboran Sea.

Isometric size-scaling of metabolic rate and the size abundance distribution of phytoplankton

Modulation of frontogenetic plankton production along a meandering jet by zonal wind forcing: An application to the Alboran Sea

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