Improved accuracy and spatial resolution for bio-logging-derived chlorophyll a fluorescence measurements in the Southern Ocean

The ocean’s meso- and submeso-scales (1-100 km, days to weeks) host features like filaments and eddies that have a key structuring effect on phytoplankton distribution, but that due to their ephemeral nature, are challenging to observe. This problem is exacerbated in regions with heavy cloud coverage and/or difficult access like the Southern Ocean, where observations of phytoplankton distribution by satellite are sparse, manned campaigns costly, and automated devices limited by power consumption. Here, we address this issue by considering high-resolution in-situ data from 18 bio-logging devices deployed on southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) in the Kerguelen Islands between 2018 and 2020. These devices have submesoscale-resolving capabilities of light profiles due to the high spatio-temporal frequency of the animals’ dives (on average 1.1 +-0.6 km between consecutive dives, up to 60 dives per day), but observations of fluorescence are much coarser due to power constraints. Furthermore, the chlorophyll a concentrations derived from the (uncalibrated) bio-logging devices’ fluorescence sensors lack a common benchmark to properly qualify the data and allow comparisons of observations. By proposing a method based on functional data analysis, we show that a reliable predictor of chlorophyll a concentration can be constructed from light profiles (14 686 in our study). The combined use of light profiles and matchups with satellite ocean-color data enable effective (1) homogenization then calibration of the bio-logging devices’ fluorescence data and (2) filling of the spatial gaps in coarse-grained fluorescence sampling. The developed method improves the spatial resolution of the chlorophyll a field description from ~30 km to ~12 km. These results open the way to empirical study of the coupling between physical forcing and biological response at submesoscale in the Southern Ocean, especially useful in the context of upcoming high-resolution ocean-circulation satellite missions

First description of in situ chlorophyll fluorescence signal within East Antarctic coastal polynyas during fall and winter

Antarctic coastal polynyas are persistent and recurrent regions of open water located between the coast and the drifting pack-ice. In spring, they are the first polar areas to be exposed to light, leading to the development of phytoplankton blooms, making polynyas potential ecological hotspots in sea-ice regions. Knowledge on polynya oceanography and ecology during winter is limited due to their inaccessibility. This study describes i) the first in situ chlorophyll fluorescence signal (a proxy for chlorophyll-a concentration and thus presence of phytoplankton) in polynyas between the end of summer and winter, ii) assesses whether the signal persists through time and iii) identifies its main oceanographic drivers. The dataset comprises 698 profiles of fluorescence, temperature and salinity recorded by southern elephant seals in 2011, 2019-2021 in the Cape-Darnley (CDP;67˚S-69˚E) and Shackleton (SP;66˚S-95˚E) polynyas between February and September. A significant fluorescence signal was observed until April in both polynyas. An additional signal occurring at 130m depth in August within CDP may result from in situ growth of phytoplankton due to potential adaptation to low irradiance or remnant chlorophyll-a that was advected into the polynya. The decrease and deepening of the fluorescence signal from February to August was accompanied by the deepening of the mixed layer depth and a cooling and salinification of the water column in both polynyas. Using Principal Component Analysis as an exploratory tool, we highlighted previously unsuspected drivers of the fluorescence signal within polynyas. CDP shows clear differences in biological and environmental conditions depending on topographic features with higher fluorescence in warmer and saltier waters on the shelf compared with the continental slope. In SP, near the ice-shelf, a significant fluorescence signal in April below the mixed layer (around 130m depth), was associated with fresher and warmer waters. We hypothesize that this signal could result from potential ice-shelf melting from warm water intrusions onto the shelf leading to iron supply necessary to fuel phytoplankton growth. This study supports that Antarctic coastal polynyas may have a key role for polar ecosystems as biologically active areas throughout the season within the sea-ice region despite inter and intra-polynya differences in environmental conditions

Estimation des variations saisonnières et interannuelles de la biomasse et de la composition en phytoplancton du secteur indien de l’Océan Austral sur les deux dernières décennies et évaluation de leurs conséquences écologiques

The Southern Ocean (SO) plays a critical role in the uptake and storage of anthropogenic carbon due to the combined action of physical and biological pumps (Boyd et al. 2019 DOI:10.1038/s41586-019-1098-2). Furthermore, the Southern Ocean provides half of the primary production of the biosphere. Recent analyses nevertheless suggest a change in surface chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) concentrations in the Southern Ocean with an increasing trend, especially over the winter period (Del Castillo et al. 2019 DOI:10.1029/2019GL083163). Given the phenology of the different phytoplankton species, this trend and the associated temporal shift could imply a change in the composition of phytoplankton communities succeeding each other during the year. This hypothesis is supported, but not verified, by work done at the CEBC revealing a continuous decrease in the δ13C isotopic signature of Kerguelen elephant seals over the period 2006-2018 while the signature of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) did not vary over the same period (SNO-OISO data, N. Metzl personal comm.). This change in elephant seal composition reflects a potential change in the quality of phytoplankton at the base of the food chains on which they depend (Schell et al., 1989 DOI:10.1007/BF00399575; Cherel and Hobson, 2007 DOI:10.3354/meps329281). The objective of the project is firstly to estimate quantitative variations in phytoplankton biomass in the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean, and secondly, to assess the associated qualitative changes in phytoplankton community composition, as well as their impacts on the ecology of large predators such as the elephant seal.L’Océan Austral (OA) joue un rôle essentiel dans l’absorption et le stockage du carbone d’origine anthropique du fait de l’action combinée des pompes physique et biologique (Boyd et al. 2019 DOI :10.1038/s41586-019-1098-2). Par ailleurs l’océan austral assure la moitié de la production primaire de la biosphère. Des analyses récentes suggèrent néanmoins une modification des concentrations en chlorophylle-a (Chl-a) de surface dans l’Océan Austral avec une tendance à l’augmentation, en particulier sur la période hivernale (Del Castillo et al. 2019 DOI :10.1029/2019GL083163). Compte tenu de la phénologie des différentes espèces de phytoplancton, cette tendance et le décalage temporel associé pourraient impliquer une modification de la composition des communautés phytoplanctoniques se succédant au cours de l’année. Cette hypothèse est confortée, sans être pour autant vérifiée, par les travaux réalisés au CEBC révélant une décroissance continue de la signature isotopique en δ13C des éléphants de mer de Kerguelen sur la période 2006-2018 alors que la signature du carbone inorganique dissous dans l’eau (DIC, Dissolved Inorganic Carbon) n’a pas varié sur cette même période (Données SNO-OISO, N. Metzl comm. personnelle). Cette modification dans la composition des éléphants de mer traduit un potentiel changement dans la qualité du phytoplancton présent à la base des chaînes trophiques dont ils dépendent (Schell et al., 1989 DOI :10.1007/BF00399575; Cherel et Hobson, 2007 DOI:10.3354/meps329281). L’objectif du projet est premièrement d’estimer les variations quantitatives en termes de biomasse phytoplanctonique dans le secteur indien de l’Océan Austral, et deuxièmement, d’apprécier les changements associés d’un point de vue qualitatif sur la composition des communautés phytoplanctoniques, ainsi que leurs impacts sur l’écologie de grands prédateurs tels que l’éléphant de mer

Estimation des variations saisonnières et interannuelles de la biomasse et de la composition en phytoplancton du secteur indien de l’Océan Austral sur les deux dernières décennies et évaluation de leurs conséquences écologiques

The Southern Ocean (SO) plays a critical role in the uptake and storage of anthropogenic carbon due to the combined action of physical and biological pumps (Boyd et al. 2019 DOI:10.1038/s41586-019-1098-2). Furthermore, the Southern Ocean provides half of the primary production of the biosphere. Recent analyses nevertheless suggest a change in surface chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) concentrations in the Southern Ocean with an increasing trend, especially over the winter period (Del Castillo et al. 2019 DOI:10.1029/2019GL083163). Given the phenology of the different phytoplankton species, this trend and the associated temporal shift could imply a change in the composition of phytoplankton communities succeeding each other during the year. This hypothesis is supported, but not verified, by work done at the CEBC revealing a continuous decrease in the δ13C isotopic signature of Kerguelen elephant seals over the period 2006-2018 while the signature of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) did not vary over the same period (SNO-OISO data, N. Metzl personal comm.). This change in elephant seal composition reflects a potential change in the quality of phytoplankton at the base of the food chains on which they depend (Schell et al., 1989 DOI:10.1007/BF00399575; Cherel and Hobson, 2007 DOI:10.3354/meps329281). The objective of the project is firstly to estimate quantitative variations in phytoplankton biomass in the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean, and secondly, to assess the associated qualitative changes in phytoplankton community composition, as well as their impacts on the ecology of large predators such as the elephant seal.L’Océan Austral (OA) joue un rôle essentiel dans l’absorption et le stockage du carbone d’origine anthropique du fait de l’action combinée des pompes physique et biologique (Boyd et al. 2019 DOI :10.1038/s41586-019-1098-2). Par ailleurs l’océan austral assure la moitié de la production primaire de la biosphère. Des analyses récentes suggèrent néanmoins une modification des concentrations en chlorophylle-a (Chl-a) de surface dans l’Océan Austral avec une tendance à l’augmentation, en particulier sur la période hivernale (Del Castillo et al. 2019 DOI :10.1029/2019GL083163). Compte tenu de la phénologie des différentes espèces de phytoplancton, cette tendance et le décalage temporel associé pourraient impliquer une modification de la composition des communautés phytoplanctoniques se succédant au cours de l’année. Cette hypothèse est confortée, sans être pour autant vérifiée, par les travaux réalisés au CEBC révélant une décroissance continue de la signature isotopique en δ13C des éléphants de mer de Kerguelen sur la période 2006-2018 alors que la signature du carbone inorganique dissous dans l’eau (DIC, Dissolved Inorganic Carbon) n’a pas varié sur cette même période (Données SNO-OISO, N. Metzl comm. personnelle). Cette modification dans la composition des éléphants de mer traduit un potentiel changement dans la qualité du phytoplancton présent à la base des chaînes trophiques dont ils dépendent (Schell et al., 1989 DOI :10.1007/BF00399575; Cherel et Hobson, 2007 DOI:10.3354/meps329281). L’objectif du projet est premièrement d’estimer les variations quantitatives en termes de biomasse phytoplanctonique dans le secteur indien de l’Océan Austral, et deuxièmement, d’apprécier les changements associés d’un point de vue qualitatif sur la composition des communautés phytoplanctoniques, ainsi que leurs impacts sur l’écologie de grands prédateurs tels que l’éléphant de mer

DataSheet_1_Improved accuracy and spatial resolution for bio-logging-derived chlorophyll a fluorescence measurements in the Southern Ocean.docx

The ocean’s meso- and submeso-scales (1-100 km, days to weeks) host features like filaments and eddies that have a key structuring effect on phytoplankton distribution, but that due to their ephemeral nature, are challenging to observe. This problem is exacerbated in regions with heavy cloud coverage and/or difficult access like the Southern Ocean, where observations of phytoplankton distribution by satellite are sparse, manned campaigns costly, and automated devices limited by power consumption. Here, we address this issue by considering high-resolution in-situ data from 18 bio-logging devices deployed on southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) in the Kerguelen Islands between 2018 and 2020. These devices have submesoscale-resolving capabilities of light profiles due to the high spatio-temporal frequency of the animals’ dives (on average 1.1 +-0.6 km between consecutive dives, up to 60 dives per day), but observations of fluorescence are much coarser due to power constraints. Furthermore, the chlorophyll a concentrations derived from the (uncalibrated) bio-logging devices’ fluorescence sensors lack a common benchmark to properly qualify the data and allow comparisons of observations. By proposing a method based on functional data analysis, we show that a reliable predictor of chlorophyll a concentration can be constructed from light profiles (14 686 in our study). The combined use of light profiles and matchups with satellite ocean-color data enable effective (1) homogenization then calibration of the bio-logging devices’ fluorescence data and (2) filling of the spatial gaps in coarse-grained fluorescence sampling. The developed method improves the spatial resolution of the chlorophyll a field description from ~30 km to ~12 km. These results open the way to empirical study of the coupling between physical forcing and biological response at submesoscale in the Southern Ocean, especially useful in the context of upcoming high-resolution ocean-circulation satellite missions.</p

Physical changes recorded by a deep diving seal on the Patagonian slope drive large ecological changes

International audienceThe Patagonian slope is the region where Subantarctic waters and bathymetry give raise to physical and ecological processes that support a rich biodiversity and a large-scale industrial fisheries. Unique among the species that depend on this region is the deep diving southern elephant seal, Mirounga leonina. We report here on changes in the foraging behavior of a female seal explained by the combined effect of a cold and high salinity water mass and a decrease in surface chlorophyll-a concentration. Behavioral and oceanographic data from about 5000 profiles of temperature, conductivity, pressure, light and prey encounters were collected within an area ranging 59.5–61°W and 46–47.5°S, at depths of 300–700 m, on the Patagonian slope, during November–December 2018. A decrease in temperature (0.15 °C) and an increase in salinity (0.03) was found below the mixed layer, during December. Light data revealed a significant increase of irradiance in December (almost reaching the ocean bottom) associated with a decrease of chlorophyll-a in the upper levels. Concomitantly, the seal had a different diving behavior in December, foraging near the surface at night and close to the bottom during daylight hours. Also, the seal doubled the prey capture attempts in December compared to November. This study reveals the importance of ocean physical properties on seal's diving and foraging behavior, and how this changes, although small, can impact on seals diet and body composition during their post-breeding trips

First description of in situ chlorophyll fluorescence signal within East Antarctic coastal polynyas during fall and winter

International audienceAntarctic coastal polynyas are persistent and recurrent regions of open water located between the coast and the drifting pack-ice. In spring, they are the first polar areas to be exposed to light, leading to the development of phytoplankton blooms, making polynyas potential ecological hotspots in sea-ice regions. Knowledge on polynya oceanography and ecology during winter is limited due to their inaccessibility. This study describes i) the first in situ chlorophyll fluorescence signal (a proxy for chlorophyll-a concentration and thus presence of phytoplankton) in polynyas between the end of summer and winter, ii) assesses whether the signal persists through time and iii) identifies its main oceanographic drivers. The dataset comprises 698 profiles of fluorescence, temperature and salinity recorded by southern elephant seals in 2011, 2019-2021 in the Cape-Darnley (CDP;67˚S-69˚E) and Shackleton (SP;66˚S-95˚E) polynyas between February and September. A significant fluorescence signal was observed until April in both polynyas. An additional signal occurring at 130m depth in August within CDP may result from in situ growth of phytoplankton due to potential adaptation to low irradiance or remnant chlorophyll-a that was advected into the polynya. The decrease and deepening of the fluorescence signal from February to August was accompanied by the deepening of the mixed layer depth and a cooling and salinification of the water column in both polynyas. Using Principal Component Analysis as an exploratory tool, we highlighted previously unsuspected drivers of the fluorescence signal within polynyas. CDP shows clear differences in biological and environmental conditions depending on topographic features with higher fluorescence in warmer and saltier waters on the shelf compared with the continental slope. In SP, near the ice-shelf, a significant fluorescence signal in April below the mixed layer (around 130m depth), was associated with fresher and warmer waters. We hypothesize that this signal could result from potential ice-shelf melting from warm water intrusions onto the shelf leading to iron supply necessary to fuel phytoplankton growth. This study supports that Antarctic coastal polynyas may have a key role for polar ecosystems as biologically active areas throughout the season within the sea-ice region despite inter and intra-polynya differences in environmental conditions

Sources of the Levantine Intermediate Water in Winter 2019

International audienceClimatic changes and interannual variability in the Mediterranean overturning circulation are crucially linked to dense water formation in the Levantine Sea, namely the Levantine Intermediate Water whose formation zone, comprising multiple and intermittent sources, extends over fluctuating pathways. To probe into the variability of this water formation and spreading, a unique dataset was collected during the winter of 2019 in the western Levantine Sea, via oceanographic cruises, profiling floats and a glider, at a spatio-temporal distribution suited to resolve mesoscale circulation features and intermittent convection events. This study highlights the competition between two source regions, the Cretan Sea and the Rhodes Cyclonic Gyre, to supply the Mediterranean overturning circulation in Levantine Intermediate Water. The Cretan source was estimated as the most abundant, supported by increasingly saltier water masses coming from the Levantine Sea under the pumping effect of a water deficit caused by strong western outflow toward the Ionian Sea