The frequency and extent of sub-ice phytoplankton blooms in the Arctic Ocean

Horvat, Christopher; Jones, David Rees; Iams, Sarah; Schröder, David; Flocco, Daniela; Feltham, D. L.

doi:10.1126/sciadv.1601191

Cited by 169 publications

(118 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…High concentrations of phytoplankton recently observed in the water column beneath ice as far as 100 km from the ice edge may indicate that phytoplankton growth can now be initiated and sustained beneath a seasonal ice cover (Arrigo et al, ; Assmy et al, ; Churnside & Marchbanks, ). Horvat et al () conclude that ice thinning has increased the prevalence of conditions conducive for under‐ice blooms, such that as much as 30% of the ice‐covered Arctic in July could now support phytoplankton growth. Although the partition between open water, Marginal Ice Zone (MIZ), and under‐ice blooms may have little to no effect on total seasonal production (Palmer et al, ), alterations in the timing and duration of Arctic Ocean net primary production (NPP) can have implications for pelagic and benthic food webs (Ji et al, ; Leu et al, ; Soreide et al, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Light Availability and Phytoplankton Growth Beneath Arctic Sea Ice: Integrating Observations and Modeling

et al. 2018

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Observations of the seasonal light field in the upper Arctic Ocean are critical to understanding the impacts of changing Arctic ice conditions on phytoplankton growth in the water column. Here we discuss data from a new sensor system, deployed in seasonal ice cover north‐east of Utqiaġvik, Alaska in March 2014. The system was designed to provide observations of light and phytoplankton biomass in the water column during the formation of surface melt ponds and the transition from ice to open water. Hourly observations of downwelling irradiance beneath the ice (at 2.9, 6.9, and 17.9 m depths) and phytoplankton biomass (at 2.9 m depth) were transmitted via Iridium satellite from 9 March to 10 November 2014. Evidence of an under‐ice phytoplankton bloom (Chl a ∼8 mg m−3) was seen in June and July. Increases in light intensity observed by the buoy likely resulted from the loss of snow cover and development of surface melt ponds. A bio‐optical model of phytoplankton production supported this probable trigger for the rapid onset of under‐ice phytoplankton growth. Once under‐ice light was no longer a limiting factor for photosynthesis, open water exposure almost marginally increased daily phytoplankton production compared to populations that remained under the adjacent ice. As strong effects of climate change continue to be documented in the Arctic, the insight derived from autonomous buoys will play an increasing role in understanding the dynamics of primary productivity where ice and cloud cover limit the utility of ocean color satellite observations.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Light Availability and Phytoplankton Growth Beneath Arctic Sea Ice: Integrating Observations and Modeling

et al. 2018

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“…, Horvat et al. ). Besides, elevated temperature increases membrane fluidity and enzyme activity, and hence plays a positive role in optimizing photosynthetic performance of algal cells under stress (Kanervo et al.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Martin et al (2012) proposed that increasing temperature will not limit the ability of phytoplankton to survive polar winters and provide inocula for bloom events. After all, warmer seawater results in thinner sea ice with higher light transmission, favoring ice algal growth, as suggested by increasing under-ice blooms (Mundy et al 2009, Boetius et al 2013, Arrigo 2014, Leu et al 2015, Horvat et al 2017. Besides, elevated temperature increases membrane fluidity and enzyme activity, and hence plays a positive role in optimizing photosynthetic performance of algal cells under stress (Kanervo et al 1997, Morgan-Kiss et al 2006).…”

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confidence: 99%

Increased temperature benefits growth and photosynthetic performance of the sea ice diatom Nitzschia cf. neglecta (Bacillariophyceae) isolated from saroma lagoon, Hokkaido, Japan

Yan

Endo

Suzuki

2019

Journal of Phycology

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During ice melt in spring, ice algae are released from the ice and could be exposed to variable temperatures and irradiances in surface water. Saroma Lagoon is an embayment with two inlets leading to the Sea of Okhotsk. With seasonal development of sea ice, its water temperature changes dramatically throughout the year. To investigate the living and photoprotective strategies of ice algae in such a coastal water system, we grew Nitzschia cf. neglecta, an ice diatom isolated from the sea ice of this lagoon, under irradiance levels of 30 and 100 μmol photons · m−2 · s−1, and temperatures of 2°C and 10°C. Then the acclimated cells were exposed to high light in order to investigate the plasticity of their photosynthetic apparatus. At 10°C, cells grew faster and showed decreased susceptibility to high light. At 2°C, an immediate decrease in all pigment content upon exposure, as well as a higher cellular content of diatoxanthin was used to compensate for the more severe excitation stress. Highly efficient photoprotection was achieved through the diadinoxanthin‐diatoxanthin cycle‐dependent nonphotochemical quenching. While regulation through psbA and rbcL at the transcription level played a minor role in the response to high light stress at both temperatures. The wide tolerance to both temperature and light changes suggest that the thinning of sea ice and higher temperatures in a warmer world will lead to more intense blooms in Saroma Lagoon.

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“…Sunlight is the primary energy source for phytoplankton, and therefore, instantaneous inhomogeneity in under-ice light may have effects on ocean ecology. Changes to the sea ice surface are likely responsible for an increase in blooms occurring in the early melt season under the ice, in regions of high-concentration ice away from the ice edge (Arrigo et al, 2012(Arrigo et al, , 2014Assmy et al, 2017;Horvat et al, 2017;Mundy et al, 2009). Evidence for such a shift is seen in measurements of atmospheric iodine, a proxy for under-ice phytoplankton activity (Ordóñez et al, 2012), in a Greenland ice core (Cuevas et al, 2018).…”

Section: /2019gl085956mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effect of Melt Pond Geometry on the Distribution of Solar Energy Under First‐Year Sea Ice

Horvat

Flocco

Jones

et al. 2020

Geophysical Research Letters

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Sea ice plays a critical role in the climate system through its albedo, which constrains light transmission into the upper ocean. In spring and summer, light transmission through sea ice is influenced by its iconic blue melt ponds, which significantly reduce surface albedo. We show that the geometry of surface melt ponds plays an important role in the partitioning of instantaneous solar radiation under sea ice by modeling the three‐dimensional light field under ponded sea ice. We find that aggregate properties of the instantaneous sub‐ice light field, such as the enhancement of available solar energy under bare ice regions, can be described using a new parameter closely related to pond fractal geometry. We then explore the influence of pond geometry on the ecological and thermodynamic sea ice processes that depend on solar radiation.

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The frequency and extent of sub-ice phytoplankton blooms in the Arctic Ocean

Abstract: Recent thinning and ponding of Arctic sea ice may have led to frequent, extensive phytoplankton blooms under sea ice.

Cited by 169 publications

References 43 publications

Light Availability and Phytoplankton Growth Beneath Arctic Sea Ice: Integrating Observations and Modeling

Light Availability and Phytoplankton Growth Beneath Arctic Sea Ice: Integrating Observations and Modeling

Increased temperature benefits growth and photosynthetic performance of the sea ice diatom Nitzschia cf. neglecta (Bacillariophyceae) isolated from saroma lagoon, Hokkaido, Japan

The Effect of Melt Pond Geometry on the Distribution of Solar Energy Under First‐Year Sea Ice

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