The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

Physical controls and mesoscale variability in the Labrador Sea spring phytoplankton bloom observed by Seaglider

Physical controls and mesoscale variability in the Labrador Sea spring phytoplankton bloom observed by Seaglider
Physical controls and mesoscale variability in the Labrador Sea spring phytoplankton bloom observed by Seaglider
We investigated the 2005 spring phytoplankton bloom in the Labrador Sea using Seaglider, an autonomous underwater vehicle equipped with hydrographic, bio-optical and oxygen sensors. The Labrador Sea blooms in distinct phases, two of which were observed by Seaglider: the north bloom and the central Labrador Sea bloom. The dominant north bloom and subsequent zooplankton growth are enabled by the advection of low-salinity water from West Greenland in the strong and eddy-rich separation of the boundary current. The glider observed high fluorescence and oxygen supersaturation within haline-stratified eddy-like features; higher fluorescence was observed at the edges than centers of the eddies. In the central Labrador Sea, the bloom occurred in thermally stratified water. Two regions with elevated subsurface chlorophyll were also observed: a 5 m thin-layer in the southwest Labrador Current, and in the Labrador shelf-break front. The thin layer observations were consistent with vertical shearing of an initially thicker chlorophyll patch. Observations at the front showed high fluorescence down to 100 m depth and aligned with the isopycnals defining the front. The high-resolution Seaglider sampling across the entire Labrador Sea provides first estimates of the scale dependence of coincident biological and physical variables.
Biophysical interactions, Phytoplankton bloom, Labrador Sea, Climate change, Eddies, Irminger Rings, Haline stratification, Thin layers, Frontal blooms
0967-0637
2144-2161
Frajka-Williams, Eleanor
da86044e-0f68-4cc9-8f60-7fdbc4dc19cb
Rhines, Peter B.
d65c16e0-07f7-4f88-a68d-609765d34dec
Eriksen, Charles C.
711d2ec9-9420-4a87-898f-382a169def42
Frajka-Williams, Eleanor
da86044e-0f68-4cc9-8f60-7fdbc4dc19cb
Rhines, Peter B.
d65c16e0-07f7-4f88-a68d-609765d34dec
Eriksen, Charles C.
711d2ec9-9420-4a87-898f-382a169def42

Frajka-Williams, Eleanor, Rhines, Peter B. and Eriksen, Charles C. (2009) Physical controls and mesoscale variability in the Labrador Sea spring phytoplankton bloom observed by Seaglider. Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers, 56 (12), 2144-2161. (doi:10.1016/j.dsr.2009.07.008).

Record type: Article

Abstract

We investigated the 2005 spring phytoplankton bloom in the Labrador Sea using Seaglider, an autonomous underwater vehicle equipped with hydrographic, bio-optical and oxygen sensors. The Labrador Sea blooms in distinct phases, two of which were observed by Seaglider: the north bloom and the central Labrador Sea bloom. The dominant north bloom and subsequent zooplankton growth are enabled by the advection of low-salinity water from West Greenland in the strong and eddy-rich separation of the boundary current. The glider observed high fluorescence and oxygen supersaturation within haline-stratified eddy-like features; higher fluorescence was observed at the edges than centers of the eddies. In the central Labrador Sea, the bloom occurred in thermally stratified water. Two regions with elevated subsurface chlorophyll were also observed: a 5 m thin-layer in the southwest Labrador Current, and in the Labrador shelf-break front. The thin layer observations were consistent with vertical shearing of an initially thicker chlorophyll patch. Observations at the front showed high fluorescence down to 100 m depth and aligned with the isopycnals defining the front. The high-resolution Seaglider sampling across the entire Labrador Sea provides first estimates of the scale dependence of coincident biological and physical variables.

Text
FrajkaWilliams_etal_dsr2009.pdf - Author's Original
Download (3MB)

More information

Published date: December 2009
Keywords: Biophysical interactions, Phytoplankton bloom, Labrador Sea, Climate change, Eddies, Irminger Rings, Haline stratification, Thin layers, Frontal blooms
Organisations: Marine Physics and Ocean Climate

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 203561
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/203561
ISSN: 0967-0637
PURE UUID: 824abd0c-017d-45f3-ba8d-9e423e126194
ORCID for Eleanor Frajka-Williams: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-8773-7838

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 17 Nov 2011 11:56
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:35

Export record

Altmetrics

Contributors

Author: Eleanor Frajka-Williams ORCID iD
Author: Peter B. Rhines
Author: Charles C. Eriksen

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×