| Volumes and Issues Contents of Issue 4 |
www.biogeosciences-discuss.net/6/6839/2009/
doi:10.5194/bgd-6-6839-2009
© Author(s) 2009. This work is distributed
under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Ultraphytoplankton distribution and upper ocean dynamics in the eastern Mediterranean during winter
1Laboratoire de Microbiologie, Géochimie et Ecologie Marines, Université de la Méditerranée, CNRS UMR 6117, 163 avenue de Luminy, Case 901, 13288 Marseille cedex 9, France
2Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e Geofisica Sperimentale – OGS, Borgo Grotta Gigante, 42/c, 34010 Sgonico (Trieste), Italy
3Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche, CNRS UMR 7093, Université de Paris VI, quai de la Darse, B.P. 28, 06234 Villefranche-sur-mer cedex, France
*present address: Ecosystèmes lagunaires, CNRS, UMR 5119, Université Montpellier II, CP 093, Place Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier cedex 5, France
Abstract. The vertical distribution of ultraphytoplankton (<10 μm) was determined in the upper 200 m of the eastern Mediterranean during the winter season. Four clusters were resolved by flow cytometry on the basis of their optical properties and identified as Synechococcus, Prochlorococcus, pico- (<3 μm) and nanoeukaryotes (3–10 μm). Synechococcus was the most abundant population (maximum abundance of about 37 000 cells cm−3) and contributed up to 67.7% to the overall ultraphytoplanktonic carbon biomass, whereas the contribution of Prochlorococcus never exceeded 6.5%. The maximum integrated carbon biomass was 1763, 453, 58 and 571 mg C m−2 for nanoeukaryotes, picoeukaryotes, Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus, respectively. Water mass properties were analyzed on the basis of temperature and salinity distributions in order to account for the general circulation and locate the main hydrodynamic structures (fronts, gyres, transition between western and eastern basins). Relationships were established between the ultraphytoplankton distribution and the hydrological characteristics of the main hydrodynamic structures. Significant relationships were found between Synechococcus abundance and density, resulting from the impact of a gyre in southern Adriatic and a thermohaline front in the Ionian Sea. A significant relationship was also found between picoeukaryotes and salinity in the comparison of western and eastern Mediterranean. Relationships were only significant for the most abundant clusters. As the first investigation of ultraphytoplankton winter distribution in the eastern Mediterranean, the present study will significantly contribute to a better knowledge of the ultraphytoplankton structure over seasons and of its dependence on hydrological features.
Discussion Paper (PDF, 4151 KB) Interactive Discussion (Closed, 6 Comments) Final Revised Paper (BG)
Notice on Discussion StatusCitation: Denis, M., Thyssen, M., Martin, V., Manca, B., and Vidussi, F.: Ultraphytoplankton distribution and upper ocean dynamics in the eastern Mediterranean during winter, Biogeosciences Discuss., 6, 6839-6887, doi:10.5194/bgd-6-6839-2009, 2009. Bibtex EndNote Reference Manager XML
Search BG
News
- Impact factor for 2010 confirms the prominent position of Biogeosciences
- Overview of Scheduled Special Issues
- Three times in 2010, Biogeosciences has achieved the highest percent increase in total citations among journals in the field of Environment & Ecology in Essential Science IndicatorsSM from Thomson Reuters. For more information see: http://sciencewatch.com.
- EGU Position Statement on Discussion Papers