A Model for the Prediction of Harmful Algae Blooms in the Vietnamese Upwelling Area

Satellite pictures and in situ observations indicate strong phytoplankton blooms including harmful algae blooms (HABs) during southwest (SW) summer monsoon in the Vietnamese upwelling area. In this period, nutrients are provided by coastal upwelling and by the very high river runoff from the Mekong River. During SW monsoon, in general two circulation patterns exist which allow the prediction of advection and diffusion of HAB patches. A Lagrangian HAB model that is driven by a circulation model and applied to HABs in Vietnamese waters is presented. Advection which is the most complicated part in modelling transport of passive substances is validated with a Lagrangian sediment trap experiment. The model produces realistic results compared to in situ observations and satellite images and might be used for real time forecast in the future

New Perspectives on Nitrogen Fixation Measurements Using 15N2 Gas

Recently, the method widely used to determine 15N2 fixation rates in marine and freshwater environments was found to underestimate rates because the dissolution of the added 15N2 gas bubble in seawater takes longer than theoretically calculated. As a solution to the potential underestimate of rate measurements, the usage of the enriched water method was proposed to provide constant 15N2 enrichment. Still, the superiority of enriched water method over the previously used bubble injection remains inconclusive. To clarify this issue, we performed laboratory based experiments and implemented the results into an error analysis of 15N2 fixation rates. Moreover, we conducted a literature search on the comparison of the two methods to calculate a mean effect size using a meta-analysis approach. Our results indicate that the error potentially introduced by an equilibrium phase of the 15N2 gas is −72% at maximum for experiments with very short incubation times of 1 h. In contrast, the underestimation was negligible for incubations lasting 12–24 h (error is −0.2%). Our meta-analysis indicates that 84% of the measurements in the two groups will overlap and there is a 61% chance that a sample picked at random from the enriched water group will have a higher value than one picked at random from the bubble group. Overall, the underestimation of N2 fixation rates when using the bubble method relative to the enriched water method is highly dependent on incubation time and other experimental conditions and cannot be generalized

New Perspectives on Nitrogen Fixation Measurements Using ¹⁵N₂ Gas

International audienc

The Amazon River plume—a Lagrangian view

Hydrographic data, nutrient data and bulk rates of nitrate uptake and primary production were determined in the Amazon River plume (ARP) in the Western Tropical North Atlantic (WTNA) during three cruises in May 2018, June/July 2019, with RV Endeavor and April/May 2021 with RV Meteor. Using daily quasi-geostrophic surface velocity data from satellite observations, the geographical positions of the stations of observations were transformed onto Lagrangian coordinates to obtain a dynamically coherent and consistent spatial distribution. After the transformation, the observed surface salinity and temperature fields were consistent with the flow fields, the ARP formed a coherent structure and the retroflection of the North Brazil Current became visible. By transforming other surface variables such as nitrate concentration, photosynthetically available radiation, turbidity, bulk rates of nitrate uptake, and primary production onto Lagrangian coordinates, patterns became consistent with the physical variables at the surface. The use of “synchronous” fields as done here by transformation onto Lagrangian coordinates is essential for spatially structured analyses of data collected over tens of days in a highly dynamic region characterized by complex flow fields with low persistence such as the WTNA. Therefore, the use of the Lagrangian method provides a powerful tool for exploring spatial distributions of biologically relevant factors in regions with complex and dynamic flow patterns. These spatial distributions are qualitatively in agreement with satellite images of daily sea surface temperature and composites of monthly mean Chlorophyll a distributions

Scenario simulations of future salinity and ecological consequences in the Baltic Sea and adjacent North Sea areas-implications for environmental monitoring

Substantial ecological changes occurred in the 1970s in the Northern Baltic during a temporary period of low salinity (S). This period was preceded by an episodic increase in the rainfall over the Baltic Sea Watershed area. Several climate models, both global and regional, project an increase in the runoff of the Northern latitudes due to proceeding climate change. The aim of this study is to model, firstly, the effects on Baltic Sea salinity of increased runoff due to projected global change and, secondly, the effects of salinity change on the distribution of marine species. The results suggest a critical shift in the S range 5-7, which is a threshold for both freshwater and marine species distributions and diversity. We discuss several topics emphasizing future monitoring, modelling, and fisheries research. Environmental monitoring and modelling are investigated because the developing alternative ecosystems do not necessarily show the same relations to environment quality factors as the retiring ones. An important corollary is that the observed and modelled S changes considered together with species' ranges indicate what may appear under a future climate. Consequences could include a shift in distribution areas of marine benthic foundation species and some 40-50 other species, affiliated to these. This change would extend over hundreds of kilometres, in the Baltic Sea and the adjacent North Sea areas. Potential cascading effects, in coastal ecology, fish ecology and fisheries would be extensive, and point out the necessity to develop further the "ecosystem approach in the environmental monitoring". (C) 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.Peer reviewe

Habitat Delineation in Highly Variable Marine Environments

The structure of the phytoplankton community in surface waters is the consequence of complex interactions between the physical and chemical properties of the upper water column as well as the interaction within the general biological community. Understanding the structure of phytoplankton communities is especially challenging in highly variable and dynamic marine environments. A variety of strategies have been employed to delineate marine planktonic habitats, including both biogeochemical and water-mass-based approaches. These methods have led to fundamental improvements in our understanding of marine phytoplankton distributions, but they are often difficult to apply to systems with physical and chemical properties and forcings that vary greatly over relatively short spatial or temporal scales. In this study, we have developed a method of dynamic habitat delineation based on environmental variables that are biologically relevant, that integrate over varying time scales, and that are derived from standard oceanographic measurements. As a result, this approach is widely applicable, simple to implement, and effective in resolving the spatial distribution of phytoplankton communities. As a test of our approach, we have applied it to the Amazon River-influenced Western Tropical North Atlantic (WTNA) and to the South China Sea (SCS), which is influenced by both the Mekong River and seasonal coastal upwelling. These two systems differ substantially in their spatial and temporal scales, nutrient sources/sinks, and hydrographic complexity, providing an effective test of the applicability of our analysis. Despite their significant differences in scale and character, our approach generated statistically robust habitat classifications that were clearly relevant to surface phytoplankton communities. Additional analysis of the habitat-defining variables themselves can provide insight into the processes acting to shape phytoplankton communities in each habitat. Finally, by demonstrating the biological relevance of the generated habitats, we gain insights into the conditions promoting the growth of distinct communities and the factors that lead to mismatches between environmental conditions and phytoplankton community structure

Origin and fate of dissolved organic matter in four shallow Baltic Sea estuaries

Coastal waters have strong gradients in dissolved organic matter (DOM) quantity and characteristics, originating from terrestrial inputs and autochthonous production. Enclosed seas with high freshwater input therefore experience high DOM concentrations and gradients from freshwater sources to more saline waters. The brackish Baltic Sea experiences such salinity gradients from east to west and from river mouths to the open sea. Furthermore, the catchment areas of the Baltic Sea are very diverse and vary from sparsely populated northern areas to densely populated southern zones. Coastal systems vary from enclosed or open bays, estuaries, fjords, archipelagos and lagoons where the residence time of DOM at these sites varies and may control the extent to which organic matter is biologically, chemically or physically modified or simply diluted with transport off-shore. Data of DOM with simultaneous measurements of dissolved organic (DO) nitrogen (N), carbon (C) and phosphorus (P) across a range of contrasting coastal systems are scarce. Here we present data from the Roskilde Fjord, Vistula and Öre estuaries and Curonian Lagoon; four coastal systems with large differences in salinity, nutrient concentrations, freshwater inflow and catchment characteristics. The C:N:P ratios of DOM of our data, despite high variability, show site specific significant differences resulting largely from differences residence time. Microbial processes seemed to have minor effects, and only in spring did uptake of DON in the Vistula and Öre estuaries take place and not at the other sites or seasons. Resuspension from sediments impacts bottom waters and the entire shallow water column in the Curonian Lagoon. Finally, our data combined with published data show that land use in the catchments seems to impact the DOC:DON and DOC:DOP ratios of the tributaries most.peerReviewe