Re-examination of the MAGIC method to determine low orthophosphate concentration in seawater

International audienc

A new method for nanomolar determination of silicic acid in seawater

International audienc

Biogeochemical and ecological functioning of the low-salinity water lenses in the region of the Rhone River freshwater influence, NW Mediterranean Sea

International audienceA quasi-synoptic survey of a eulerian small grid was carried out twice during mid-spring 2002 in the Gulf of Lions, NW Mediterranean Sea. Analysis of hydrological core parameters reveal for the first time, in the region of freshwater influence (ROFI) of the Rhone River, the presence of low-salinity water (LSW) lenses. The present work details the biogeochemical and ecological functioning of the two LSW lenses from a combined analysis of nutrients and organic matter content, taxonomic assemblages of phytoplankton, primary productivity measurements and nitrogen regeneration fluxes. During the first survey, the lens observed is only detached in part from the Rhone River plume and is considered as a juvenile lens. In contrast, the second lens is totally detached from the plume forming a confined 3D structure with a large vertical development and is considered as having a more advanced maturity. A second survey, 4 days later, provided the opportunity to propose a complete sequence of ecological functioning of the LSW lenses, from their formation to a late stage of maturity just before dispersion. Nitrate contents and dissolved organic matter remain in high concentrations during the juvenile stages while the little available phosphate is rapidly exhausted. In such, an unbalanced-nutrient environment picoplankton appear to out-compete bacterioplankton for phosphate and other resources such as ammonium. In turn, the dominance of such prokaryotic assemblages could have involved the rapid development of microzooplankton. The sudden increase in phosphate observed in a more advanced stage of lens maturity is attributed to intense P-regeneration driven by the large abundance of microzooplankton. This top-down control does not seem to enable the prokaryotic assemblages to bloom again but the high concentrations of phosphate and nitrate favour the development of larger phytoplankton. These autotrophic communities rapidly exhaust nutrients and then decline in the confined ecosystem of the LSW lens that subsequently evolves towards oligotrophic conditions. In the observed last stage, small-sized phytoplankton again dominates the microbial assemblages and the trophic regime is mainly based on regenerated production. The long lifetime of the LSW lens compared to that of the Rhone River plume enables a deep transformation of the initial characteristics of the Rhone River freshwaters both in terms of nutrients balance and microbial food webs, especially through trophic cascading effects. Hence, we show that the LSW lenses have the potential to transfer nutrients and organic matter offshore but the nature (inorganic vs. organic) of the dominant compound exported will depend on the maturity of the lens at the time of its dispersion

An estimation of annual new production and carbon fluxes in the northeast Atlantic Ocean during 2001

International audienc

Influence of mesoscale eddies on nitrate distribution during the POMME program in the northeast Atlantic Ocean

International audienc

SOMLIT-Brest / MAREL-Iroise : des séries d’observation physico-chimiques au service de la recherche scientifique

Les écosystèmes côtiers sont soumis à de multiples forçages physiques et chimiques qui agissent à des échelles de temps très différentes. Pour décrire et prédire l’impact de ces forçages sur les écosystèmes, il est impératif de mesurer à long terme les caractéristiques physiques, chimiques et biologiques des eaux côtières. Depuis plus de 15 ans, un partenariat réunit l’IUEM/UBO, l’IFREMER et l'INSU pour assurer le suivi régulier et à long terme de la physico-chimie des eaux côtières à l’interface de la rade de Brest et de la mer d’Iroise (site de Ste Anne du Portzic, 48°21’60 N, 4°33’04 W ). Ce suivi repose sur une stratégie combinée de mesures à basse fréquence (série SOMLIT-Brest - Service d’Observation en Milieu LITtoral) et de mesures à haute fréquence (série MAREL-Iroise - Mesure Automatisée en Réseau de l’Environnement Littoral)

Decadal phytoplankton biomass variability in two contrasted French coastal ecosystems in a climate change context

Coastal environments are highly impacted by the combined influence of anthropogenic climate change and the occurrence of persistent episodes of extreme meteorological events: warming of sea waters and changes in nutrient inputs due to the modification of precipitation patterns and consequently on river flows. Here, we study the impact of climate driven changes on phytoplankton biomass dynamics by analyzing high and low frequency of phytoplankton fluorescence and chlorophyll measurements in two French eutrophic ecosystems (Bay of Brest 2000-2019 and Bay of Vilaine 2011-2019). While the frequency and intensity of blooms in the Bay of Vilaine is driven by the supply of nutrients from rivers, no clear relationship is detected in the Bay of Brest where the residence time of water masses is short and the nutrient limitations infrequent. Long-term changes in phytoplankton biomass in these two contrasted ecosystems revealed a strong interannual variability in the timing, intensity and magnitude of blooms that occurred during the growing period (mid-March to mid-September). We observed that the first spring bloom is initiated in 2019 about 30 days earlier than 20 years ago in the Bay of Brest while it is delayed by 20 days in a decade in the Bay of Vilaine. These modifications in the timing of the phytoplankton bloom are related to a “shift” in sea surface temperature and changes in solar irradiance, as originating from the influence of large-scale hydro- climatological processes.  

Impact of elevated pCO2 on optical properties of the coccolithophorid Emiliania huxleyi grown under nitrate limitation

Side scatter and red fluorescence properties of the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi were investigated when NO3-limited continuous cultures were submitted to a CO2 partial pressure (pCO2) increase from 400 to 700 ppm. Cultures renewed at the rate of 0.5 d-1 and were submitted to saturating light level. pCO2 was controlled by bubbling CO2-rich or CO2- free air in the cultures. Side scatter of a single cell is considered to reflect not only its overall shape but mainly its inner structure and content through a complex combination of optical properties including absorption, diffusion, refractive index and refraction. Consequently, the cultures of Emiliania huxleyi were monitored by flow cytometry to detect possible changes in its optical properties at the single cell level under the effect of CO2 doubling in the atmospheric phase. The average SD for counting 5 replicates was less than 1.6% over the period of the study. It was 0.1 and 0.2% for fluorescence and side scatter respectively. Considering the possible decalcification induced by the increase of CO2 in the chemostat atmosphere, the maximum variation that can be expected for side scatter is that provided by the coccolith depletion upon acidification of the cell suspension. The acidification induced a large (36%) decrease of the side scatter signal as expected and had no detectable effect on the red fluorescence. To validate the assignment of this change on coccolith dissolution, the same experiment was repeated with a culture of a non-calcifying species, Dunaliella tertiolecta. The acidification of D. tertiolecta suspension induced no detectable change, both on fluorescence and side scatter. During the time of the experiment, the decline of side scatter never approached the potential 36% change observed when coccoliths are fully dissolved. Interestingly, the specific chl a fluorescence of E. huxleyi slightly increased during the period of high CO2 level. At the end of the experiment this increase amounted to 2.8% of the initial signal. The average SD of red fluorescence being 0.1%, this increase must be considered as significant. Furthermore, it progressed linearly with time over the period of observation. However, the experiment did not last enough to know if the fluorescence increase had already reached its maximum value. The acidification experiment supported the use of side scatter as a relevant parameter to trace potential changes in calcification. Since the estimated 25% decrease in calcification induced by the rise in CO2 atmosphere did not result in dramatic changes in side scatter values, we can conclude that the number of coccoliths and the overall shape and granulosity of cells was not significantly affected by this decrease. Changes must have only affected tiny structure details of the coccoliths like those observed on published electron micrographs. The small but significant increase of the fluorescence signal can be considered as a physiological response to the CO2 rise. This suggests a more dynamic photosynthetic process that would result in a higher rate of organic matter production providing that the system is not nutrient limited as in the present situation