Showing papers in "Deep-sea Research Part Ii-topical Studies in Oceanography in 2011"

The strengthening East Australian Current, its eddies and biological effects — an introduction and overview

Abstract: The poleward flowing East Australian Current (EAC) is characterised by its separation from the coast, 100–200 nautical miles north of Sydney,to form the eastward flowing Tasman Front and a southward flowing eddyfield. The separation zone greatly influences coastal ecosystems for the relatively narrow continental shelf(only15–50kmwide),particularly between 32–341S. In this region the continental shelf has a marked shift in the seasonal temperature-salinity relationship and elevated surface nitrate concentrations.This current parallels the portion of the coast where Australia’s population is concentrated and has a long history of scientific research. However,understanding of physical and biological processes driven by the EAC,particularly in linking circulation to ecosystems,is limited.In this special issue of 16 papers on the EAC,we examine the effects of climatic wind-stress forced ocean dynamics on EAC transport variability and coastal sealevel,from ENSO to multi-decadal timescales; eddy formation and structure;fine scale connectivity and larval retention.Comparisons with the poleward-flowing Leeuwin Current on Australia’s west coast show differences in ecosystem productivity that can be attributed to the under lying physics in each region. On average there is double the chlorophyll a concentration on the east coast than the west.In comparison to the Leeuwin, the EAC may have less local retention of larvae and act as a partial barrier to on shore transport,which may also be related to the local spawning and early life history of small pelagicfishoneach coast.Inter- annual variations in the EAC transport produce a detectable sea-level signal in Sydney Harbour,which could provide a useful fisheries index as does the Fremantle sea level and Leeuwin Current relationship. The EAC’s eddy structure and formation by the EAC are examined. A particular cold-coreeddy is shown to have a ‘tilt’ towards the coast,and that during a rotation the flow of particles may rise up to the euphotic zone and then down beneath.In a warm-coreeddy,surface floodingis shown to produce a new shallower surface mixed layer and promote algal growth.An assessment of plankton data from 1938–1942 showed that the local, synoptic conditions had to be incorporated before any comparison with the present. The reare useful relationships of water mass characteristics in the Tasman Sea and separation zone with larval fish diversity and abundance,as well as with long-line fisheries.These fisheries-pelagic habitat relationships are invaluable for fisheries management,as well as for climate change assessments. There is further need to examine the EAC influence on rainfall,storm activity, dust deposition, and on the movements by fish,sharks and whales. The Australian Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS)has provided new infrastructure to determine the changing behaviour of the EAC and its bio-physical interaction with the coasts and estuaries. The forecasting and hindcasting capability developed under the Blue link project has provided a new tool for data synthesis and dynamical analysis. The impact of a strengthening EAC and how it influences the livelihoods of over half the Australian population, from Brisbane to Sydney, Hobart and Melbourne, is just being realised.

Dissolved iron in the Southern Ocean (Atlantic sector)

Abstract: We report a comprehensive dataset of dissolved iron (Fe) comprising 482 values at 22 complete vertical profiles along a 1° latitudinal section at the Zero meridian. In addition a shorter high resolution (∼00°09′) surface section of the southernmost part of the transect (66°00′–69°35′S) is presented. Within the upper surface mixed layer the concentrations of dissolved Fe vary between 0.1 and 0.3 nM. An inverse trend versus fluorescence suggests significant Fe removal by plankton blooms. Vertical mixing and upwelling are the most important supply mechanisms of iron from deep waters to the upper surface mixed layer. At lower latitude (42°S) there is a distinct maximum of 0.6–0.7 nM in the 2000–3000 m depth range due to inflow of North Atlantic Deep Water. In one region (55°S) elevated dissolved Fe found in the surface mixed layer is ascribed to the recent deposition of aeolian dust originating from South America. Close to the Antarctic continent there is an indication of Fe supply in surface waters from icebergs. In the deep waters there is a strong indication of a hydrothermal plume of dissolved Fe and Mn over the ridge in the Bouvet region (52–56°S). In the Weddell Gyre basin the dissolved Fe in the deep water is 0.47±0.16 nM in the eastward flow at ∼56–62°S and is lower with a value of 0.34±0.14 nM in the westward flow at high ∼62–69°S latitude. At the edge of the continental ice-sheet on the prime meridian, the continental margin of the Antarctic continent appears to be lesser source of dissolved Fe than in any other place in the world; this is likely because it is unique in being overlain by the extending continental ice-sheet that largely prevents biogeochemical cycling.

A model study of Circumpolar Deep Water on the West Antarctic Peninsula and Ross Sea continental shelves

Abstract: Transport of relatively warm, nutrient-rich Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW) onto continental shelves around Antarctica has important effects on physical and biological processes. However, the characteristics of the CDW along the shelf break, as well as what happens to it once it has been advected onto the continental shelf, differ spatially. In the present study high resolution (4–5 km) regional models of the Ross Sea and the West Antarctic Peninsula coastal ocean are used to compare differences in CDW transport. The models compared very well with observations from both regions. Examining the fluxes not only of heat, but also of a simulated “dye” representing CDW, shows that in both cases CDW crosses the shelf break in specific locations primarily determined by the bathymetry, but eventually floods much of the shelf. The frequency of intrusions in Marguerite Trough was ca. 2–3 per month, similar to recent mooring observations. A significant correlation between the along shelf break wind stress and the cross shelf break dye flux through Marguerite Trough was observed, suggesting that intrusions are at least partially related to short duration wind events. The primary difference between the CDW intrusions on the Ross and west Antarctic Peninsula shelves is that there is more vigorous mixing of the CDW with the surface waters in the Ross Sea, especially in the west where High Salinity Shelf Water is created. The models show that the CDW moving across the Antarctic Peninsula continental shelf towards the base of the ice shelves not only is warmer initially and travels a shorter distance than that advected towards the base of the Ross Ice Shelf, but it is also subjected to less vertical mixing with surface waters, which conserves the heat available to be advected under the ice shelves. This difference in vertical mixing also likely leads to differences in the supply of nutrients from the CDW into the upper water column, and thus modulates the impacts on surface biogeochemical processes.

Monitoring the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation

Abstract: The rapid climate change programme (RAPID) has established a prototype system to continuously observe the strength and structure of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (MOC) at 26.5°N. Here we provide a detailed description of the RAPID-MOC monitoring array and how it has evolved during the first four deployment years, as well as an overview of the main findings so far. The RAPID-MOC monitoring array measures: (1) Gulf Stream transport through Florida Strait by cable and repeat direct velocity measurements; (2) Ekman transports by satellite scatterometer measurements; (3) Deep Western Boundary Currents by direct velocity measurements; (4) the basin wide interior baroclinic circulation from moorings measuring vertical profiles of density at the boundaries and on either side of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge; and (5) barotropic fluctuations using bottom pressure recorders. The array became operational in late March 2004 and is expected to continue until at least 2014. The first 4 years of observations (April 2004–April 2008) have provided an unprecedented insight into the MOC structure and variability. We show that the zonally integrated meridional flow tends to conserve mass, with the fluctuations of the different transport components largely compensating at periods longer than 10 days. We take this as experimental confirmation of the monitoring strategy, which was initially tested in numerical models. The MOC at 26.5°N is characterised by a large variability—even on timescales as short as weeks to months. The mean maximum MOC transport for the first 4 years of observations is 18.7 Sv with a standard deviation of 4.8 Sv. The mechanisms causing the MOC variability are not yet fully understood. Part of the observed MOC variability consists of a seasonal cycle, which can be linked to the seasonal variability of the wind stress curl close to the African coast. Close to the western boundary, fluctuations in the Gulf Stream and in the North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) coincide with bottom pressure variations at the western margin, thus suggesting a barotropic compensation. Ongoing and future research will put these local transport variations into a wider spatial and climatic context.

Biodiversity change after climate-induced ice-shelf collapse in the Antarctic

Abstract: The marine ecosystem on the eastern shelf of the Antarctic Peninsula was surveyed 5 and 12 years after the climate-induced collapse of the Larsen A and B ice shelves. An impoverished benthic fauna was discovered, that included deep-sea species presumed to be remnants from ice-covered conditions. The current structure of various ecosystem components appears to result from extremely different response rates to the change from an oligotrophic sub-ice-shelf ecosystem to a productive shelf ecosystem. Meiobenthic communities remained impoverished only inside the embayments. On local scales, macro- and mega-epibenthic diversity was generally low, with pioneer species and typical Antarctic megabenthic shelf species interspersed. Antarctic Minke whales and seals utilised the Larsen A/B area to feed on presumably newly established krill and pelagic fish biomass. Ecosystem impacts also extended well beyond the zone of ice-shelf collapse, with areas of high benthic disturbance resulting from scour by icebergs discharged from the Larsen embayments.

How many species in the Southern Ocean? Towards a dynamic inventory of the Antarctic marine species

Abstract: The IPY sister-projects CAML and SCAR-MarBIN provided a timely opportunity, a strong collaborative framework and an appropriate momentum to attempt assessing the “Known, Unknown and Unknowable” of Antarctic marine biodiversity. To allow assessing the known biodiversity, SCAR-MarBIN “Register of Antarctic Marine Species (RAMS)” was compiled and published by a panel of 64 taxonomic experts. Thanks to this outstanding expertise mobilized for the first time, an accurate list of more than 8100 valid species was compiled and an up-to-date systematic classification comprising more than 16,800 taxon names was established. This taxonomic information is progressively and systematically completed by species occurrence data, provided by literature, taxonomic and biogeographic databases, new data from CAML and other cruises, and museum collections. RAMS primary role was to establish a benchmark of the present taxonomic knowledge of the Southern Ocean biodiversity, particularly important in the context of the growing realization of potential impacts of the global change on Antarctic ecosystems. This, in turn, allowed detecting gaps in knowledge, taxonomic treatment and coverage, and estimating the importance of the taxonomic impediment, as well as the needs for more complete and efficient taxonomic tools. A second, but not less important, role of RAMS was to contribute to the “taxonomic backbone” of the SCAR-MarBIN, OBIS and GBIF networks, to establish a dynamic information system on Antarctic marine biodiversity for the future. The unknown part of the Southern Ocean biodiversity was approached by pointing out what remains to be explored and described in terms of geographical locations and bathymetric zones, habitats, or size classes of organisms. The growing importance of cryptic species is stressed, as they are more and more often detected by molecular studies in several taxa. Relying on RAMS results and on some case studies of particular model groups, the question of the potential number of species that remains to be discovered in the Southern Ocean is discussed. In terms of taxonomic inputs to the census of Southern Ocean biodiversity, the current rate of progress in inventorying the Antarctic marine species as well as the state of taxonomic resources and capacity were assessed. Different ways of improving the taxonomic inputs are suggested.

Litter in submarine canyons off the west coast of Portugal

Abstract: Marine litter is of global concern and is present in all the world’s oceans, including deep benthic habitats where the extent of the problem is still largely unknown. Litter abundance and composition were investigated using video footage and still images from 16 Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) dives in Lisbon, Setubal, Cascais and Nazare Canyons located west of Portugal. Litter was most abundant at sites closest to the coastline and population centres, suggesting the majority of the litter was land sourced. Plastic was the dominant type of debris, followed by fishing gear. Standardised mean abundance was 1100 litter items km−2, but was as high as 6600 litter items km−2 in canyons close to Lisbon. Although all anthropogenic material may be harmful to biota, debris was also used as a habitat by some macro-invertebrates. Litter composition and abundance observed in the canyons of the Portuguese margin were comparable to those seen in other deep sea areas around the world. Accumulation of litter in the deep sea is a consequence of human activities both on land and at sea. This needs to be taken into account in future policy decisions regarding marine pollution.

Deep water formation, the subpolar gyre, and the meridional overturning circulation in the subpolar North Atlantic

Abstract: On interannual to decadal times scales, model simulations suggest a strong relationship between anomalies in the deep water formation rate, the strength of the subpolar gyre, and the meridional overturning circulation in the North Atlantic. Whether this is valid, can only be confirmed by continuous, long observational time series. Several measurement components are already in place, but crucial arrays to obtain time series of the meridional volume and heat transport in the subpolar North Atlantic are still missing. Here we summarize the recent developments of the deep water formation rates and the subpolar gyre transports. We discuss how existing observational components in the subpolar North Atlantic could be supplemented to provide long-term monitoring of the meridional heat and volume transport. Through a combined analysis of observations and model results the temporal and spatial scales that had to be covered with instruments are discussed, together with the key regions with the highest variability in the velocity and temperature fields.

Dissolved manganese in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean

Abstract: The first comprehensive dataset (492 samples) of dissolved Mn in the Southern Ocean shows extremely low values of 0.04 up to 0.64 nM in the surface waters and a subsurface maximum with an average concentration of 0.31 nM (n=20; S.D.=0.08 nM). The low Mn in surface waters correlates well with the nutrients PO4 and NO3 and moderately well with Si(OH)(4) and fluorescence. Furthermore, elevated concentrations of Mn in the surface layer coincide with elevated Fe and light transmission and decreased export (Th-234/U-238 deficiency) and fluorescence. It appears that Mn is a factor of importance in partly explaining the HNLC conditions in the Southern Ocean, in conjunction with significant controls by the combination of Fe limitation and light limitation. No input of Mn from the continental margins was observed. This is ascribed to the protruding continental ice sheet that covers the shelf and shuts down the usual biological production, microbial breakdown and sedimentary geochemical cycling. The low concentrations of Mn in the deep ocean basins (0.07-0.23 nM) were quite uniform, but some elevations were observed. The highest deep concentrations of Mn were observed at the Bouvet Triple Junction region and coincided with high concentrations of Fe and are deemed to be from hydrothermal input. The deep basins on both sides of the ridge were affected by this input. In the deep Weddell Basin the input of Weddell Sea Bottom Water appears to be the source of the slightly elevated concentrations of Mn in this water layer. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cryptic speciation and the circumpolarity debate: A case study on endemic Southern Ocean octopuses using the COI barcode of life

Abstract: Three hundred and fifty specimens of the endemic Southern Ocean octopus genus Pareledone, were sequenced for the barcoding gene COI. Geographic coverage comprised the South Shetland Islands, the Ross Sea, Adelie Land, George V Land, the Weddell Sea, under the site of the former Larsen B ice shelf, Prydz Bay, the South Orkney Islands and the Amundsen Sea. The greatest number of specimens was captured at the three first-mentioned localities. At least 11 species were represented in the samples and the analyses revealed cryptic species. Six species were found to have extended distributions. Circumpolarity is supported for at least one species. Evidence is presented for a barrier to gene flow to the west of the Antarctic Peninsula, with haplotypes of P. aequipapillae becoming progressively more diverse in a clockwise direction from the South Shetland Islands to the Amundsen Sea. This pattern is akin to that seen in ring species, although we suggest that comparatively warm bottom water acts as a physical barrier preventing completion of the ring.

The South Atlantic and the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation

Abstract: This article discusses the contribution of the South Atlantic circulation to the variability of the Meridional Overturning Circulation (MOC). The South Atlantic connects the North Atlantic to the Indian and Pacific oceans, being the conduit through which the southward outflow of North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) is compensated by northward inflows of upper and intermediate waters. This circulation pattern, in which cold waters flow poleward and warm waters equatorward, generates a distinct heat flux that is directed from the poles towards the equator. Observations and models indicate that the South Atlantic is not just a passive conduit but that its circulation influences significantly the water mass structure of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). These transformations occur across the whole basin but are most intensified in regions of high mesoscale variability. Models and observations also show that the South Atlantic plays a significant role in the establishment of oceanic teleconnections. Anomalies generated in the Southern Ocean, for example, are transmitted through inter-ocean exchanges to the northern basins. These results highlight the need for sustained observations in the South Atlantic and Southern Ocean, which, in conjunction with modeling efforts, would improve the understanding of the processes necessary to formulate long-term climate predictions.

Tracking large tabular icebergs using the SeaWinds Ku-band microwave scatterometer

Abstract: Knowledge of iceberg locations is important for safety reasons as well as for understanding many geophysical and biological processes. Originally designed to measure wind speed and direction over the ocean, SeaWinds is a microwave scatterometer that operates at 13.4 GHz (Ku-band) on the QuikSCAT satellite. Radar measurements from SeaWinds are collected and processed on a daily basis using resolution-enhancement techniques to produce daily radar images. Because icebergs scatter microwave energy more than sea ice and sea water, icebergs are detected as high-backscatter targets surrounded by lower-backscatter regions in daily SeaWinds images. As a result, iceberg positions are determined in real-time and a time-series of iceberg positions is maintained in an Antarctic iceberg database by Brigham Young University's Microwave Earth Remote Sensing (MERS) laboratory. Since SeaWinds operates independent of both solar illumination and cloud cover and has a large daily spatial coverage, this paper demonstrates that SeaWinds is an excellent platform to detect and track large tabular icebergs. These icebergs are generally larger than 5 km and are typically characterized as a rough ice plateau above the surrounding sea water or sea ice. The number of icebergs tracked in the MERS Antarctic iceberg database is found to be generally greater than the number of icebergs tracked by the National Ice Center. The movement patterns of all icebergs detected by SeaWinds are also analyzed and 90% of icebergs are found to travel a counter-clockwise path around Antarctica and accumulate in the Weddell and Scotia Seas. Iceberg detection and tracking is demonstrated via multiple case studies that highlight icebergs C-19a and A-22a using the MERS database and through real-time operational support of the 2005, 2008, and 2009 NSF Antarctic cruises. Iceberg positions are validated by using collocated high-resolution satellite imagery and by navigating the NSF ships to physically intercept several large tabular icebergs in the Weddell and Scotia Seas.

Ecological niche modeling of sympatric krill predators around Marguerite Bay, Western Antarctic Peninsula

Abstract: Adelie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae), carabeater seals (Lobodon carcinophagus), humpback (Megaptera novaeangliae), and minke whales (Balaenoptera bonaernsis) are found in the waters surrounding the Western Antarctic Peninsula. Each species relies primarily on Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) and has physiological constraints and foraging behaviors that dictate their ecological niches. Understanding the degree of ecological overlap between sympatric krill predators is critical to understanding and predicting the impacts on climate-driven changes to the Antarctic marine ecosystem. To explore ecological relationships amongst sympatric krill predators, we developed ecological niche models using a maximum entropy modeling approach (Maxent) that allows the integration of data collected by a variety of means (e.g. satellite-based locations and visual observations). We created spatially explicit probability distributions for the four krill predators in fall 2001 and 2002 in conjunction with a suite of environmental variables. We find areas within Marguerite Bay with high krill predator occurrence rates or biological hot spots. We find the modeled ecological niches for Adelie penguins and crabeater seals may be affected by their physiological needs to haul-out on substrate. Thus, their distributions may be less dictated by proximity to prey and more so by physical features that over time provide adequate access to prey. Humpback and minke whales, being fully marine and having greater energetic demands, occupy ecological niches more directly proximate to prey. We also find evidence to suggest that the amount of overlap between modeled niches is relatively low, even for species with similar energetic requirements. In a rapidly changing and variable environment, our modeling work shows little indication that krill predators maintain similar ecological niches across years around Marguerite Bay. Given the amount of variability in the marine environment around the Antarctic Peninsula and how this affects the local abundance of prey, there may be consequences for krill predators with historically little niche overlap to increase the potential for interspecific competition for shared prey resources.

Metal quotas of plankton in the equatorial Pacific Ocean

Abstract: The micronutrient metals Mn, Fe, Co, Ni and Zn are required for phytoplankton growth, and their availability influences ocean productivity and biogeochemistry. Here we report the first direct measurements of these metals in phytoplankton and protozoa from the equatorial Pacific Ocean. Cells representing 4 functional groups (diatoms, autotrophic flagellates, heterotrophic flagellates and autotrophic picoplankton) were collected from the surface mixed layer using trace-metal clean techniques during transects across the equator at 110°W and along the equator between 110°W and 140°W. Metal quotas were determined for individual cells with synchrotron x-ray fluorescence microscopy, and cellular stoichiometries were calculated relative to measured P and S, as well as to C calculated from biovolume. Bulk particulate (>3 μm) metal concentrations were also determined at 3 stations using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for comparison to single-cell stoichiometries. Phosphorus-normalized Mn, Fe, Ni and Zn ratios were significantly higher in diatoms than other cell types, while Co stoichiometries were highest in autotrophic flagellates. The magnitude of these effects ranged from approximately 2-fold for Mn in diatoms and autotrophic flagellates to nearly an order of magnitude for Fe in diatoms and picoplankton. Variations in S-normalized metal stoichiometries were also significant but of lower magnitude (1.4 to 6-fold). Cobalt and Mn quotas were 1.6 and 3-fold higher in autotrophic than heterotrophic flagellates. Autotrophic picoplankton were relatively enriched in Ni but depleted in Zn, matching expectations based on known uses of these metals in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Significant spatial variability in metal stoichiometries was also observed. At two stations deviations in Fe stoichiometries reflected features in the dissolved Fe distribution. At these same stations, high Ni stoichiometries in autotrophic flagellates were correlated with elevated ammonium and depressed nitrate concentrations. The spatial effects may have resulted from the passage of tropical instability waves along the equator. Comparison of bulk and single-cell results show similar Mn:P ratios at 2 of 3 stations, but Fe:P and Ni:P were systematically higher in bulk material and Co:P was lower. These results suggest an overrepresentation of diatoms or diatom-based detritus in the bulk fraction. Taken together, the analyses present a generalized stoichiometry of Fe≈Zn>Mn≈Ni>Co in the plankton. Diatom Fe quotas exceeded minimum subsistence levels, characteristic of cells growing actively on oxidized N sources. This study demonstrates the subst a ntial biogeochemical insight that can be gained from studies of metal quotas in individual functional groups.

Effect of the potential melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet on the Meridional Overturning Circulation and global climate in the future

Abstract: Multiple recent observations indicate an accelerated mass loss of the Greenland Ice Sheet since the mid-1990s. This increased ice sheet mass loss might be an evidence of global warming and could be related to elevated atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations. Here, we use the National Center for Atmospheric Research Community Climate System Model version 3 to assess the potential influence of a shrinking Greenland Ice Sheet on the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (MOC), the surface climate, and sea level in the next two centuries under the IPCC A1B scenario with prescribed rates of Greenland Ice Sheet melting. Results show that a low rate of Greenland melting will not significantly alter the MOC. However a moderate or high rate of Greenland melting does make the MOC weaken further. This further weakened MOC will not make the global climate in the next two centuries cooler than in the late 20th century, but will lessen the warming, especially in the northern high latitudes. Moreover, the sea level changes due to steric effect and ocean dynamics could potentially aggravate the sea level problem near the northeast North America coast and the islands in the western Pacific region.

ENSO to multi-decadal time scale changes in East Australian Current transports and Fort Denison sea level: Oceanic Rossby waves as the connecting mechanism

Abstract: The connection between East Australian Current (EAC) transport variability and Australia’s east coast sea level has received little treatment in the literature. This is due in part to the complex interacting physical processes operating in the coastal zone combined with the sparsity of observations available to improve our understanding of these possible connections. This study demonstrates a statistically significant (at the 490% level) relationship between interannual to decadal time scale variations in observed estimates of the EAC transport changes and east coast sea level measured at the high-quality, long record Fort Denison tide-gauge in Sydney Harbour, Australia (3315101800S, 15111303200E). We further demonstrate, using a linear reduced-gravity ocean model, that ENSO to decadal time-scale variations and the ocean-adjusted multi-decadal trend (approx. 1 cm/decade) in observed sea level at Fort Denison are strongly connected to modulations of EAC transports by incoming westward propagating oceanic Rossby waves. We show that EAC transport and Fort Denison sea level vary in a manner expected from both Tasman Sea generated Rossby waves, which account for the interannual and multi-annual variability, and remotely forced (from east of New Zealand) Rossby wave connections through the mid-latitudes, accounting for the ocean-adjusted multi-decadal trend observed at the New South Wales coast – with the regional-Tasman Sea forcing explaining the greatest overall proportion of EAC transport and sea-level variances.

Measurements of the oceanic thermal skin effect

Abstract: Spectroradiometric measurements of the ocean skin temperature and thermometric measurements of the bulk temperature at a depth of about 5 cm taken from the R/V Tangaroa during SAGE (SOLAS/SAGE: surface-ocean lower-atmosphere studies air–sea gas exchange experiment) off New Zealand are analyzed to reveal the wind speed dependence of the temperature difference across the thermal skin layer (Δ T ). The wind speeds used here are corrected for flow distortion by the ship. Unlike most previously published measurements of Δ T , these data include those taken during the day, prior analyses being usually restricted to night-time measurements to avoid contamination of the data by diurnal heating. The results show the same dependence of Δ T on wind speed at night-time measurements, with an asymptotic behavior at a value of −0.13 K at high winds. These data show larger Δ T at low wind speeds than previous studies, and there is an indication that this may reveal a dependence on sea surface temperature.

Size distribution and shape properties of relatively small sea-ice floes in the Antarctic marginal ice zone in late winter

Abstract: In the marginal sea ice zone (MIZ), where relatively small ice floes are dominant, the floe size distribution is an important parameter affecting melt processes given the larger cumulative perimeter of multiple small floes compared with a single ice floe of the same area. Smaller ice floes are therefore subject to increased lateral melt. However, the available data have been very limited so far. Analysis of sea ice in the Sea of Okhotsk revealed that while floe size distribution is basically scale invariant, a regime shift occurs at a size of about 40 m. In order to extend this preliminary result to the Antarctic MIZ and further examine the controlling factors, the first concurrent ice floe size and ice thickness measurements were conducted in the northwestern Weddell Sea and off Wilkes Land (around 64°S, 117°E) with a heli-borne digital video camera in the late winter of 2006 and 2007, respectively. The floe sizes ranged from 2 to 100 m. Our analysis shows: 1) the scale invariance and regime shift are confirmed in both regions; 2) the floe size at which regime shift occurs slightly increases from 20 to 40 m, with ice thickness, consistent with the theory of the flexural failure of sea ice; and 3) the aspect ratio is 1.6-1.9 on average, close to the previous results. Based on these results, the processes affecting the floe size distribution and the subsequent implications on melt processes are discussed. By applying a renormalization group method to interpret the scale invariance in floe size distribution, the fractal dimension is related to the fragility of sea ice. These results indicate the importance of wave-ice interaction in determining the floe size distribution.

The distribution of dissolved zinc in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean

Abstract: The distribution of dissolved zinc (Zn) was investigated in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean in the austral autumn of 2008 as part of the IPY GEOTRACES expedition ZERO & DRAKE. Research focused on transects across the major frontal systems along the Zero Meridian and across the Drake Passage. There was a strong gradient in surface zinc concentrations observed across the Antarctic Polar Front along both transects and high zinc levels were found in surface waters throughout the Southern Ocean. Vertical profiles for dissolved Zinc showed the presence of local minima and maxima in the upper 200 m consistent with significant uptake by phytoplankton and release by zooplankton grazing, respectively. Highest deep water zinc concentrations were found in the centre of the Weddell Gyre associated with Central Intermediate Water (CIW), a water mass which is depleted in O2, elevated in CO2 and is regionally a CFC minimum. Our data suggests that the remineralization of sinking particles is a key control on the distribution of Zn in the Southern Ocean. Disappearance ratios of zinc to phosphate (Zn:P) in the upper water column increased southwards along both transects and based on laboratory studies they suggest slower growth rates of phytoplankton due to iron or light limitation. Zinc and silicate were strongly correlated throughout the study region but the disappearance ratio (Zn:Si) was relatively uniform overall except for the region close to the ice edge on the Zero Meridian.

Biodiversity of macrofaunal assemblages from three Portuguese submarine canyons (NE Atlantic)

Abstract: The macrofaunal assemblages from three Portuguese submarine canyons, Nazare, Cascais and Setubal were studied from samples collected at their upper (900–1000 m), middle (3200–3500 m) and lower sections (4200–4500 m) and at the adjacent open slopes (∼1000 m), during the HERMES cruises D297 (R.R.S. Discovery, 2005) CD179 (R.R.S. Charles Darwin, 2006) and 64PE252 (R.V. Pelagia, 2006). The taxonomic composition and patterns in biodiversity, abundance and community structure of the benthic macrofauna were described. Annelida (42.1% of total abundance; 137 species) and Arthropoda (20.6%; 162 species) were, respectively, the most abundant and the most species-rich Phyla among the 342 taxa identified during this study. Multivariate analyses showed significant differences between and within canyons and between canyons and open slope assemblages. At their upper section, canyons supported higher macrofauna abundance but slightly lower biodiversity than the adjacent slopes at similar depth. In all canyons abundance reached the highest value in the middle section and the lowest in the upper section, with marked fluctuations in Nazare (474–4599 ind. m−2) and lower variability in Cascais (583–1125 ind. m−2). The high abundance and dominance of the assemblages in the middle section of Nazare and Setubal was accompanied by depressed biodiversity, while in Cascais, Hurlbert's expected species richness showed increasing values from the upper to the middle canyon, and maintained the high values at the lower section. Overall, the Nazare Canyon showed the lowest expected species richness (ES(100): 16–39) and the Cascais Canyon the highest (39–54). There was a significant negative Kendall's correlation between total organic carbon concentrations in the superficial sediments and ES(100) and a significant positive correlation between total nitrogen and macrofauna density. The influences of organic enrichment, sediment heterogeneity and hydrodynamic regime on the abundance, diversity and community structure of the macrofauna are discussed. It is suggested that altered and localised environmental conditions in the Portuguese canyons play an important role in modifying more common abundance and diversity bathymetric patterns evident in many continental slope environments.

Phytoplankton growth, grazing and production balances in the HNLC equatorial Pacific

Abstract: We investigate the hypothesis that phytoplankton growth and grazing processes are strongly balanced in high-nutrient low-chlorophyll (HNLC) waters of the equatorial Pacific using euphotic-zone estimates of rates and biomass determined for 30 stations during EB04 (December 2004) and EB05 (September 2005). As predicted by the balance hypothesis, depth-averaged instantaneous rates of phytoplankton growth and grazing losses to micro- and mesozooplankton show a net growth difference of zero. Contemporaneous estimates of phytoplankton biomass and specific rates from flow cytometry, microscopy and taxon-specific accessory pigments allow determination of constrained production-consumption trophic balances for the phytoplankton community as a whole and for major component populations. The magnitude of growth-based production (867 mg C m −2 d −1 ) is consistent with measured 14 C primary production, given methodological differences. 70% of production is utilized by protistan herbivores within the microbial community; 30% is consumed by mesozooplankton. Among picophytoplankton ( Prochlorococcus , Synechococcus and small eukaryotes), representing 40% of community biomass and 27% of daily biomass growth, microzooplankton consume almost all production. Among groups of larger eukaryote taxa, including diatoms but dominated by dinoflagellate biomass, micro-grazers consume 51–62% of production, with the remainder available to mesozooplankton. Some leakage from the balance is expected as export of sinking phytoplankton cells and aggregates, but is constrained to no more than a few percent of daily production from alternate determinations of mesozooplankton grazing. The demonstrated balance of growth and grazing processes in the equatorial Pacific is inconsistent with recent claims from inverse models that a large flux associated with ungrazed picophytoplankton production dominates euphotic zone carbon export in the region.

Free-Drifting Icebergs as Sources of Iron to the Weddell Sea

Abstract: In recent years glaciers on the Antarctic Peninsula have retreated, resulting in loss of mass from ice shelves and increased supply of icebergs to the Southern Ocean. Free-drifting icebergs may serve as an important source of Fe to surrounding waters. We measured concentrations of dissolved Fe and Fe content of suspended particulate material (via flow injection-chemiluminescence and ICP-MS, respectively) in the waters surrounding several icebergs during cruises to the Scotia and Weddell Seas in June 2008 and March 2009. Surface dissolved Fe (DFe) concentrations varied from 0.58 to 2.92 nM and were elevated up to 60% at some stations 10 km from the icebergs, indicating general Fe enrichment in the lower-salinity surface layer. However surface DFe within 1 km of the iceberg was similar to that measured at depths below the draft of the iceberg, a feature that may result from upwelling of circumpolar deep water caused by basal melting at the face of the iceberg. Iron concentrations in ice collected following calving events were highly variable (4-600 nM) but were elevated above concentrations in seawater. Particulate Fe (normalized to particulate P) in suspended particulate material was up to 20-fold higher within 0.6 km of two large tabular icebergs, but no enrichment was observed at two smaller icebergs. Iron:phosphorus ratios of suspended particulate material were also higher in deeper (40 m) waters compared to shallow (ca. 15 m) waters at the iceberg face. Iron release appeared to be episodic, producing a spatially heterogeneous environment around icebergs. This source term may increase in coming years as Antarctic ice shelves degrade further, potentially impacting the ecology and biogeochemistry of low-Fe waters of the Southern Ocean.

Warming of deep and abyssal water masses along the Greenwich meridian on decadal time scales: The Weddell gyre as a heat buffer

Abstract: The Southern Ocean renders a significant contribution to the global overturning system through the formation of deep and bottom waters. The Weddell Sea is one of the most prominent regions in this respect. Data obtained between 1984 and 2008 from eight repeat hydrographic sections, moored instruments and profiling floats in the Weddell gyre on the Greenwich meridian – almost all of them collected with RV Polarstern – were used to identify variations in the Weddell system. Fluctuations in the water mass properties were detected in the Warm Deep Water, with a temperature maximum in the 1990s and a minimum in 2005, but also significant variations occurred in the Weddell Sea Deep and Bottom Waters, whereas the Warm Deep Water is dominated by decadal variations; the average temperature and salinity of the whole water column is subject to a positive trend over 24 years. The variations of the water mass properties are induced by variations of the inflow of Circumpolar Deep Water at the boundary. Due to asymmetric wind forcing at the northern and the southern limb of the gyre, variable in- and outflows occur at the open boundaries. Internal processes redistribute heat and salt in the gyre resulting in a long-term increase of the temperature and salinity in the whole water column. The transfer of heat to deeper layers assigns to the Weddell gyre the role of a buffer, with potential impact on the global climate.

A Perspective on Decadal Climate Variability and Predictability

Abstract: The global surface air temperature record of the last 150 years is characterized by a long-term warming trend, with strong multidecadal variability superimposed. Similar multidecadal variability is also seen in other (societal important) parameters such as Sahel rainfall or Atlantic hurricane activity. The existence of the multidecadal variability makes climate change detection a challenge, since Global Warming evolves on a similar timescale. The ongoing discussion about a potential anthropogenic signal in the Atlantic hurricane activity is an example. A lot of work was devoted during the last years to understand the dynamics of the multidecadal variability, and external as well as internal mechanisms were proposed. This review paper focuses on two aspects. First, it describes the mechanisms for internal variability using a stochastic framework. Specific attention is given to variability of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), which is likely the origin of a considerable part of decadal variability and predictability in the Atlantic Sector. Second, the paper discusses the decadal predictability and the factors limiting its realisation. These include a poor understanding of the mechanisms involved and large biases in state-of-the-art climate models. Enhanced model resolution, improved subgrid scale parameterisations, and the inclusion of additional climate subsystems, such as a resolved stratosphere, may help overcome these limitations.

Iceberg-hosted nanoparticulate Fe in the Southern Ocean: Mineralogy, origin, dissolution kinetics and source of bioavailable Fe

Abstract: Sediments from icebergs and glaciers contain nanopartculate Fe(III) oxyhydroxides (including ferrihydrite) which form in aqueous, oxic (micro)environments where Fe(II)-bearing rock minerals oxidise and high degrees of supersaturation are promoted by freezing and thawing. An ascorbic acid extraction dissolves only labile Fe present in fresh (loosely aggregated) ferrihydrite that is directly or indirectly bioavailable. Glacial and iceberg sediments contain ferrihydrite aggregates that provide 0.04 to 0.17% Fe soluble in ascorbic acid, rather larger than the concentrations in a limited suite of atmospheric dusts. The dissolution behaviour of labile Fe from glacial and iceberg sediments by ascorbic acid is controlled by the access of reactant, or removal of solute, through micropores to or from active sites in the interior of ferrihydrite aggregates. A first-order kinetic model is presented to examine the rates at which bioavailable Fe can be supplied by melting icebergs in the Weddell Sea. The model utilizes rate constants from the literature for the processes which solubilise Fe from nanoparticulate ferrihydrite (dissolution, photochemical reduction and grazing) and the processes that remove Fe nanoparticulates (sinking, scavenging and incorporation in faecal material), and render them less reactive (transformation, aging). Model results demonstrate that icebergs can supply bioavailable Fe to the Weddell Sea by the dissolution of nanoparticulate ferrihydrite (despite loss/removal of nanoparticles by sinking, aging, transformation, scavenging and incorporation into faecal pellets) at rates that are comparable to atmospheric dust. Dissolution enhanced by photochemical reduction and grazing provides the most rapid rates of bioavailable Fe production.

Admiralty Bay Benthos Diversity—A census of a complex polar ecosystem

Abstract: A thorough census of Admiralty Bay benthic biodiversity was completed through the synthesis of data, acquired from more than 30 years of observations. Most of the available records arise from successive Polish and Brazilian Antarctic expeditions organized since 1977 and 1982, respectively, but also include new data from joint collecting efforts during the International Polar Year (2007–2009). Geological and hydrological characteristics of Admiralty Bay and a comprehensive species checklist with detailed data on the distribution and nature of the benthic communities are provided. Approximately 1300 species of benthic organisms (excluding bacteria, fungi and parasites) were recorded from the bay’s entire depth range (0–500 m). Generalized classifications and the descriptions of soft-bottom and hard-bottom invertebrate communities are presented. A time-series analysis showed seasonal and interannual changes in the shallow benthic communities, likely to be related to ice formation and ice melt within the bay. As one of the best studied regions in the maritime Antarctic Admiralty Bay represents a legacy site, where continued, systematically integrated data sampling can evaluate the effects of climate change on marine life. Both high species richness and high assemblage diversity of the Admiralty Bay shelf benthic community have been documented against the background of habitat heterogeneity.

Sea urchin development in a global change hotspot, potential for southerly migration of thermotolerant propagules

Abstract: The distribution of the sea urchin Heliocidaris erythrogramma coincides with the southeast Australia global change hot spot where marine ecosystems are warming significantly due to changes in ocean circulation. To address questions on future vulnerabilities, the thermotolerance of the planktonic life phase of H. erythrogramma was investigated in the climate and regionally relevant setting of projected near-future (2100) ocean warming. Experimental treatments ranged from 18 to 26 °C, with 26 °C representing +3–4 °C above recent ambient sea-surface temperatures. Developmental success across all stages (gastrula, 24 h; larva, 72 h; juvenile, 120 h) decreased with increasing temperature. Development was tolerant to a +1–2 °C increase above ambient, but significant deleterious effects were evident at +3–4 °C. However, larvae that developed through the early bottleneck of normal development at 26 °C metamorphosed successfully. The inverse relationship between temperature and planktonic larval duration (PLD) was seen in a 25% decrease in the PLD of H. erythrogramma at 24 and 26oC. Ocean warming may be advantageous to a subset of larvae through early settlement and reduction of the vulnerable planktonic period. This positive effect of temperature may help buffer the negative effects of ocean warming. In parallel studies with progeny derived from northern (Coffs Harbour) and southern (Sydney) H. erythrogramma, northern embryos had significantly higher thermotolerance. This provides the possibility that H. erythrogramma populations might keep up with a warming world through poleward migration of thermotolerant propagules, facilitated by the strong southward flow of the East Australian Current. It is uncertain whether H. erythrogramma populations at the northern range of this species, with no source of immigrants, will have the capacity to persist in a warm ocean. Due to its extensive latitudinal distribution, its potential developmental thermotolerance and independence of its lecithotrophic larvae from exogenous food and the need to make a functional skeleton, H. erythrogramma may be particularly robust to ocean change.

Deciphering the pathways for the deep limb of the Meridional Overturning Circulation

Abstract: For the past 50 years it has been assumed that the principal pathway for the deep limb of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is the Deep Western Boundary Current (DWBC). However, recent observations of Lagrangian floats have shown that the DWBC is not necessarily a unique, dominant, or continuous pathway for these deep waters. A significant portion of the deep water export from the subpolar to the subtropical gyres follows a pathway through the interior of the Newfoundland and subtropical basins, which is constrained by the western boundary and the western flank of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The hypothesis that deep eddy-driven recirculation gyres are a mechanism for partitioning the deep limb of the AMOC into the DWBC and this interior pathway is investigated here. Eulerian and Lagrangian analyses of the output of ocean general circulation models at eddy-resolving, eddy-permitting, and non-eddy permitting resolutions are used to test this hypothesis. Eddy-driven recirculation gyres, simulated in the eddy-resolving and eddy-permitting models and similar to recirculations inferred from hydrographic data, are shown to shape the export pathways of deep water from the subpolar to the subtropical gyres.

Modelling coastal connectivity in a Western Boundary Current: Seasonal and inter-annual variability

Abstract: Understanding the transport and distribution of marine larvae by ocean currents is one of the key goals of population ecology. Here we investigate circulation in the East Australian Current (EAC) and its impact on the transport of larvae and coastal connectivity. A series of Lagrangian particle trajectory experiments are conducted in summer and winter from 1992–2006 which enables us to investigate seasonal and inter-annual variability. We also estimate a mean connectivity state from the average of each of the individual realisations. Connectivity patterns are related to the movement of five individual larval species (two tropical, two temperate and one invasive species) and are found to be in qualitative agreement with historical distribution patterns found along the coast of SE Australia. We use a configuration of the Princeton Ocean Model to investigate physical processes in the ocean along the coast of SE Australia where the circulation is dominated by the EAC, a vigorous western boundary current. We assimilate hydrographic fields from a ∼ 10 ‐ km global analysis into a ∼ 3 ‐ km resolution continental shelf model to create a high-resolution hindcast of ocean state for each summer and winter from 1992–2006. Particles are released along the coast of SE Australia, and at various isobaths across the shelf (25–1000 m) over timescales ranging from 10–90 days. Upstream of the EAC separation point across-shelf release location dominates the particle trajectory length scales, whereas seasonality dominates in the southern half of the domain, downstream of the separation point. Lagrangian probability density functions show dispersion pathways vary with release latitude, distance offshore and the timescale of dispersion. Northern (southern) release sites are typified by maximum (minimum) dispersal pathways. Offshore release distance also plays a role having the greatest impact at the mid-latitude release sites. Maximum alongshore dispersion occurs at the mid-latitude release sites such as Sydney. Seasonal variability is also greatest at mid-latitudes, associated with variations in the separation point of the EAC. Climatic variations such as El Nino and La Nina are also shown to play a role in dictating the connectivity patterns. La Nina periods have a tendency to increase summer time connectivity (particularly with offshore release sites) while El Nino periods are shown to increase winter connectivity. The EAC acts as a barrier to the onshore movement of particles offshore, which impacts on the connectivity of offshore release sites. Consequentially particles released inshore of the EAC jet exhibit a greater coastal connectivity than those released offshore of the EAC front. The separation point of the EAC also dictates connectivity with more sites being connected (with lower concentration) downstream of the separation point of the EAC. These results can provide a useful guide to the potential connectivity of marine populations, or the spread of invasive pests (via ballast water or release of propagules from established populations).

Transport of the North Atlantic Deep Western Boundary Current about 39°N, 70°W: 2004–2008

Abstract: Begun in spring 2004, a sustained measurement program – Line W – is returning high-resolution observations of the North Atlantic's Deep Western Boundary Current (DWBC) southeast of New England. The study focuses on the cold limb of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation near the boundary between the subpolar and subtropical gyres. The field study consists of a 6-element, continental-slope-spanning moored array on a line underlying an altimeter satellite ground track, and periodic reoccupations of a full-depth hydrographic section along the line extending from the continental shelf towards Bermuda. Here, data from the first 4 years of the array (May 10, 2004–April 9, 2008) are analyzed along with 9 realizations of the section. The array, a mix of Moored Profiler and discrete, fixed-depth instrument moorings, returned temperature, salinity and horizontal velocity data with various temporal and depth resolutions. After averaging to filter inertial, tidal and other high-frequency motions, the combined moored data set was binned to the lowest common temporal resolution of 5-days (the nominal burst sample interval of the Moored Profilers) and interpolated to 2-dbar vertical resolution. Temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, tracer chemical concentrations and direct velocity data were acquired on the hydrographic cruises. The present work focuses on the 4-year-mean and time-varying meridional transport in 4 layers bounded by neutral density surfaces: Upper and Classical Labrador Sea Waters, Iceland-Scotland Overflow Waters and Denmark Strait Overflow Waters. The 5-d, 4-layer-summed meridional transport estimates range between −3.5 and −79.9 Sv with a record mean average transport of −25.1 Sv and standard deviation of 12.5 Sv. Bias adjustment to account for the finite width of the moored array increases the 4-layer mean transport estimate to −28.7 Sv. At time scales longer than about 1 month, the variations in equatorward DWBC transport appear correlated with meridional position of the Gulf Stream North Wall with stronger transport observed when the Stream is displaced south.