Disparities between in situ and optically derived carbon biomassand growth rates of the prymnesiophyte <i>Phaeocystis globosa</i>

The oceans play a pivotal role in the global carbon cycle. It is not practical to measure the global daily production of organic carbon, the product of phytoplankton standing stock and its growth rate using discrete oceanographic methods. Instead, optical proxies from Earth-orbiting satellites must be used. To test the accuracy of optically derived proxies of phytoplankton physiology and growth rate, hyperspectral reflectance data from the wax and wane of a Phaeocystis bloom in laboratory mesocosms were compared with standard ex situ data. Chlorophyll biomass could be estimated accurately from reflectance using specific chlorophyll absorption algorithms. However, the conversion of chlorophyll (Chl) to carbon (C) was obscured by the non-linear increase in C : Chl under nutrient-limited growth. Although C : Chl was inversely correlated (r2 = 0.88) with the in situ fluorometric growth rate indicator Fv / Fm (Photosystem II quantum efficiency), none of them was linearly correlated to growth rate, constraining the accurate calculation of Phaeocystis growth or production rates. Unfortunately, the optical proxy ?ph (quantum efficiency of fluorescence: the ratio of the number of fluoresced photons to the number of photons absorbed by the phytoplankton) did not show any correlation with Phaeocystis growth rate, and therefore it is concluded that ?ph cannot be applied in the remotely sensed measurement of this species' carbon production rate

Iron-mediated effects on nitrate reductase in marine phytoplankton

The potential activity of nitrate reductase was determined in uni-algal cultures in the laboratory and in natural marine phytoplankton assemblages. In the laboratory bioassays, distinct differences in nitrate reductase activity were observed in iron replete versus depleted cultures for Emiliania huxleyi, Isochrysis galbana and Tetraselmis sp. Cells from iron-depleted cultures had 15 to 50 percent lower enzyme activity than those from iron-replete cultures. Upon addition of iron, nitrate reductase activity was enhanced in depleted cells up to levels comparable to those of the replete cells. Bioassays in the northern North Sea conducted in 1993, under low iron conditions, demonstrated similar results. Upon addition of 2.5 nM iron, a distinct enhancement, to a maximum of three times, of nitrate reductase activity was observed within 32 h after addition. Therefore, iron can stimulate nitrate reductase activity. In spite of the clean techniques used, some nitrate reductase activity was always observed. Iron deficiency was shown to impair nitrate reductase activity, but it is unlikely that nitrate reduction would cease completely

Effects of iron stress on chromatic adaptation by natural phytoplankton communities in the Southern Ocean

Effects of iron stress on chromatic adaptation were studied in natural phytoplankton communities collected in the Pacific region of the Southern Ocean. Iron enrichment experiments (48 to 72 h) were performed, incubating plankton communities under white, green and blue light respectively, with and without addition of 2 nM Fe. Pigment ratios were affected by iron addition only to a minor extent. The pigment composition as dictated by the light conditions was similar for both the iron-enriched and the unamended bottles. Upon iron addition, phytoplankton auto-fluorescence, as estimated by flow cytometry, decreased markedly, indicating iron stress of the endemic phytoplankton community. It was concluded that iron did not control chromatic adaptation via the pigment composition, but exerted a clear effect on the efficiency of electron transfer

A mesocosm tool to optically study phytoplankton dynamics

The accuracy of remote sensing algorithms for phytoplankton biomass and physiology is difficult to test under natural conditions due to rapid changes in physical and biological forcings and the practical inability to manipulate nutrient conditions and phytoplankton composition in the sea. Therefore, an indoor mesocosm was designed to examine the optical properties of phytoplankton under controlled and manipulated conditions of irradiance, temperature, turbulence, and nutrient availability. Equipped with hyperspectral radiometers and bottom irradiance meters, it is shown that under semi-natural environmental conditions biogeochemically relevant species as Emiliania huxleyi and Phaeocystis globosa can be grown with good precision (+/- 20%) between duplicate mesocosms and between duplicate sensors (< 5% deviation). The accuracy of chlorophyll estimates by absorption, using an Integrating Cavity Absorption Meter, and fluorescence using water-leaving radiance was 74% to 80%, respectively, as it was negatively influenced by changes in phytoplankton physiology. Biomass detection was limitedto 1 to 2 mu g chlorophyll/L with an apparent linearity to 50 mu g chlorophyll/L. Estimates of the quantum efficiency of fluorescence (phi approximate to 0.01) were comparable to real-world estimates derived from satellite observations. It is concluded that the mesocosms adequately simulate natural conditions with sufficient accuracy and precision and that they offer an important tool in validating assumptions and hypotheses underlying remote sensing algorithms and models

Control of Antarctic phytoplankton community composition and standing stock by light availability

Southern Ocean phytoplankton are especially subjected to pronounced seasonal and interannual changes in light availability. Although previous studies have examined the role of light in these environments, very few combined pigment-based taxonomy with flow cytometry to better discriminate the light response of various phytoplankton groups. In particular the different populations within the diverse and important taxonomic group of diatoms require further investigation. Six incubation experiments (9–10 days) were performed during the main productive period with natural seawater collected at the Western Antarctic Peninsula. Standing stock of Phaeocystis spp. cells displayed relatively fast accumulation under all levels of light (low, medium, high; 4–7, 30–50 and 150–200 µmol quanta m−2 s−1), whilst the small- and larger-sized diatom populations (4.5 and 20 µm diameter) exhibited faster accumulation in medium and high light. In contrast, intermediate-sized diatoms (11.5 µm diameter) displayed fastest net growth under low light, subsequently dominating the phytoplankton community. Low light was a key factor limiting accumulation and peak phytoplankton biomass, except one incubation displaying relatively high accumulation rates under low light. The 3-week low-light period prior to experimentation likely allowed adaptation to maximize achievable growth and seems a strong determinant of whether the different natural Antarctic phytoplankton populations sustain, thrive or decline. Our study provides improved insight into how light intensity modulates the net response of key Antarctic phytoplankton, both between and within taxonomic groups

Maternal lipid profile in early pregnancy is associated with foetal growth and the risk of a child born large-for-gestational age: a population-based prospective cohort study Maternal lipid profile in early pregnancy and foetal growth

Background: Lipids such as cholesterol and triglycerides play an important role in both maternal and foetal energy metabolism. Little is known about maternal lipid levels in pregnancy and their effect on foetal growth. The aim of this study was to assess maternal lipid levels, foetal growth and the risk of small-for-gestational age (SGA) and large-for-gestational age (LGA). Methods: We included 5702 women from the Generation R Study, a prospective population-based cohort. Maternal lipid levels (total cholesterol, triglycerides and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [HDL-c]) were measured in early pregnancy (median 13.4 weeks, 90% range [10.5 to 17.2]). Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), remnant cholesterol and non-HDL-c were calculated. Foetal growth was measured repeatedly by ultrasound. Information on birth anthropometrics was retrieved from medical records. A birth weight below the 10th percentile was defined as SGA and above the 90th percentile as LGA. Results: Maternal triglyceride and remnant cholesterol levels were associated with increased foetal head circumference and abdominal circumference growth rates. Triglycerides and remnant cholesterol were positively associated with the risk of LGA (odds ratio [OR] 1.11, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.01 to 1.22] and OR 1.11, 95% CI [1.01 to 1.23], respectively). These associations were independent of maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index, but not maternal glucose levels. We observed no association between maternal lipids in early pregnancy and SGA. Conclusions: Our study suggests a novel association of early pregnancy triglyceride and remnant cholesterol levels with foetal growth, patterns of foetal growth and the risk of LGA. Future studies are warranted to explore clinical implication possibilities

State of the climate in 2013

In 2013, the vast majority of the monitored climate variables reported here maintained trends established in recent decades. ENSO was in a neutral state during the entire year, remaining mostly on the cool side of neutral with modest impacts on regional weather patterns around the world. This follows several years dominated by the effects of either La Niña or El Niño events. According to several independent analyses, 2013 was again among the 10 warmest years on record at the global scale, both at the Earths surface and through the troposphere. Some regions in the Southern Hemisphere had record or near-record high temperatures for the year. Australia observed its hottest year on record, while Argentina and New Zealand reported their second and third hottest years, respectively. In Antarctica, Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station reported its highest annual temperature since records began in 1957. At the opposite pole, the Arctic observed its seventh warmest year since records began in the early 20th century. At 20-m depth, record high temperatures were measured at some permafrost stations on the North Slope of Alaska and in the Brooks Range. In the Northern Hemisphere extratropics, anomalous meridional atmospheric circulation occurred throughout much of the year, leading to marked regional extremes of both temperature and precipitation. Cold temperature anomalies during winter across Eurasia were followed by warm spring temperature anomalies, which were linked to a new record low Eurasian snow cover extent in May. Minimum sea ice extent in the Arctic was the sixth lowest since satellite observations began in 1979. Including 2013, all seven lowest extents on record have occurred in the past seven years. Antarctica, on the other hand, had above-average sea ice extent throughout 2013, with 116 days of new daily high extent records, including a new daily maximum sea ice area of 19.57 million km2 reached on 1 October. ENSO-neutral conditions in the eastern central Pacific Ocean and a negative Pacific decadal oscillation pattern in the North Pacific had the largest impacts on the global sea surface temperature in 2013. The North Pacific reached a historic high temperature in 2013 and on balance the globally-averaged sea surface temperature was among the 10 highest on record. Overall, the salt content in nearsurface ocean waters increased while in intermediate waters it decreased. Global mean sea level continued to rise during 2013, on pace with a trend of 3.2 mm yr-1 over the past two decades. A portion of this trend (0.5 mm yr-1) has been attributed to natural variability associated with the Pacific decadal oscillation as well as to ongoing contributions from the melting of glaciers and ice sheets and ocean warming. Global tropical cyclone frequency during 2013 was slightly above average with a total of 94 storms, although the North Atlantic Basin had its quietest hurricane season since 1994. In the Western North Pacific Basin, Super Typhoon Haiyan, the deadliest tropical cyclone of 2013, had 1-minute sustained winds estimated to be 170 kt (87.5 m s-1) on 7 November, the highest wind speed ever assigned to a tropical cyclone. High storm surge was also associated with Haiyan as it made landfall over the central Philippines, an area where sea level is currently at historic highs, increasing by 200 mm since 1970. In the atmosphere, carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide all continued to increase in 2013. As in previous years, each of these major greenhouse gases once again reached historic high concentrations. In the Arctic, carbon dioxide and methane increased at the same rate as the global increase. These increases are likely due to export from lower latitudes rather than a consequence of increases in Arctic sources, such as thawing permafrost. At Mauna Loa, Hawaii, for the first time since measurements began in 1958, the daily average mixing ratio of carbon dioxide exceeded 400 ppm on 9 May. The state of these variables, along with dozens of others, and the 2013 climate conditions of regions around the world are discussed in further detail in this 24th edition of the State of the Climate series. © 2014, American Meteorological Society. All rights reserved