Phytoplankton dynamics associated with the monsoon in the Sulu Sea as revealed by pigment signature

Phytoplankton dynamics during the northeast monsoon was investigated in the Sulu Sea from algal pigment analysis. We visited the Sulu Sea in February 2000, a mid period of the northeast monsoon, and in November and December 2002, the beginning of the northeast monsoon. SeaWiFS images showed generally low concentrations of surface chlorophyll a (Chl a) during the southwest monsoon and higher concentrations with several peaks during the northeast monsoon. In the beginning of the northeast monsoon, subsurface chlorophyll maxima (SCM) occurred, where vertical variation in class-specific composition as estimated from pigment signatures was prominent. Prochlorococcus, cyanobacteria, prymnesiophytes and crysophytes were important groups above the SCM, and the contribution of cyanobacteria to Chl a became much lower at and below the SCM. Contributions of chlorophytes and prasinophytes to Chl a generally showed maxima near the SCM. This distribution was accompanied by vertical changes in the concentration of photoprotective pigments relative to photosynthetic accessory pigments. During the mid northeast monsoon, the upward supply of nutrients was probably enhanced at some stations due to vertical mixing, and as a consequence diatoms dominated in the upper 100 m water column of these stations, and other eukaryotic flagellates including prymnesiophytes, chrysophytes and cryptophytes were secondary major components of the community. The elevation of Chl a concentration and changes in phytoplankton community during the northeast monsoon likely influence the variation in biological production at higher trophic levels in the Sulu Sea.     

The influence of a mature cyclonic eddy on particle export in the lee of Hawaii

Mesoscale eddies may enhance primary production (PP) in the open ocean by bringing nutrient-rich deep waters into the euphotic zone, potentially leading to increased transport of particles to depth. This hypothesis remains controversial, however, due to a paucity of direct particle export measurements. In this study, we investigated particle dynamics using ²³⁴Th–²³⁸U disequilibria within a mesoscale cold-core eddy, Cyclone Opal, which formed in the lee of the Hawaiian Islands. ²³⁴Th samples were collected along two transects across Cyclone Opal as well as during a time-series within the eddy core during a decaying diatom bloom. Particulate carbon (PC), particulate nitrogen (PN) and biogenic silica (bSiO₂) fluxes at 150 m varied spatially and temporally within the eddy and strongly depended on the ²³⁴Th model formulation used (e.g., steady state versus non-steady state, inclusion of upwelling, etc.). Particle fluxes estimated from a steady state model assuming an upwelling rate of 2 m day⁻¹ yielded the best fit to sediment-trap data. These ²³⁴Th-derived particle fluxes ranged from 332±14 to 1719±53 μmol C m⁻² day⁻¹, 27±3 to 114±12 μmol N m⁻² day⁻¹, and 33±20 to 309±73 μmol Si m⁻² day⁻¹. Although PP rates within Cyclone Opal were elevated by a factor of 2–3, PC and PN fluxes were the same, within error, inside and outside of Cyclone Opal. The ratio of PC export to PP remained surprisingly low at <0.03 and similar to those measured in surrounding waters. In contrast, bSiO₂ fluxes within the eddy core were three times higher. Detailed analyses of ²³⁴Th depth profiles consistently showed excess ²³⁴Th at 100–175 m, associated with the remineralization and possible accumulation of suspended and dissolved organic matter from the surface. We suggest that strong microzooplankton grazing facilitated particulate organic matter recycling and resulted in the export of empty diatom frustules. Thus, while eddies may increase PP, they do not necessarily increase PC and PN export to deep waters. This may be a general characteristic of wind-driven cyclonic eddies of the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre and suggests that eddies may preferentially act as a silica pump, thereby playing an important role in promoting silicic-acid limitation in the region.     

应用Argo资料分析西北太平洋冬、夏季水团

应用Argo剖面浮标观测的温、盐度资料,分析了西北太平洋海域冬、夏季的温、盐度分布、水团结构及其分布。首先采用T-S点聚图法分析了该海域水团分布的基本情况,由点聚分析结果可知,该海域至少存在6种以上水团;再用模糊聚类软化法对水团作进一步划分,分别计算了该海域6至11类水团的F和△F值,结果表明,冬、夏季的△F值都以划分为8类时为最大,这与大洋水团的稳定性是一致的,因此,该海域冬、夏季水团以划分为8类最佳,它们分别是北太平洋热带表层水、北太平洋次表层水、北太平洋中层水、北太平洋副热带模态水、北太平洋深层水和赤道表层水,以及南太平洋次表层水和南太平洋中层水。     

热带太平洋次表层三维海温距平场的EOF分析

应用太平洋次表层海温距平资料构造了一个立体的西低东高的四级阶梯模型,使用EOF方法对此模型进行时空分解,重点讨论了分解结果与ENSO循环的关系,并对Nino 3距平指数进行试预报,结果表明,用 EOF分解的第一主分量代表暖池-厄尔尼诺(拉尼娜)模态,第二主分量代表次表层温度距平的东西运移模态,厄尔尼诺事件正是东西运移模态突变的结果.时滞相关分析估算,一次ENSO循环的平均周期约为41个月,厄尔尼诺、拉尼娜模态与温度距平的东西运移模态的位相差平均约为9.7个月.应用逐步回归方法得到超前Nino 3距平指数3、6和12个月的3个预报方程.预报结果表明,第一、第二时间系数对Nino 3距平指数均具有一定的预报价值,预报时效可达1 a左右.     

Effects of wind waves of the Pacific westerly on the eastern Pacific wave transport

There exists a tongueshaped swelldominance pool known as Swell Pool (SP) in the Eastern Pacific region. The monthlymean wave transports (WT) for each month of 2000 is computed using the wave products of ECMWF reanalysis data. By comparing the 2000 monthlymean WT and monthlymean wind field from QUICKSCAT, large differences are found between the wave transport direction and the wind direction over the Eastern Pacific. This may serve as an evidence for the existence of the SP in this region. The work done in this study indicates that the sources of swell in the Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) are in the westerly regions of the Southern and Northern Pacific.     

Marine reserve phenomenon in the Pacific islands

Coinciding with increased numbers of global marine reserves, communities in the Pacific islands are establishing unprecedented number of periodically-harvested and indefinitely-closed marine reserves. An integrated ecological and social comparative methodology is used to examine the motivations and outcomes of reserves in Vanuatu. Communities establish permanent reserves due to concerns about human impacts on reefs, while others establish periodic reserves in response to declining resources. Local knowledge suggests that both reserve types are effective, although validation by underwater surveys was inconclusive. Community support for both reserve types is strong, suggesting that the marine reserve phenomenon in Pacific will continue.     

Possibility of recent changes in vertical distribution and size composition of chlorophyll-a in the western North Pacific region

Our analysis of the last three decades of retrospective data of vertical distributions and size composition of chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) over the western North Pacific has revealed significant changes of three indices related to Chl-a during summer season, as follows: (1) decreasing linear trend of the proportion of Chl-a in surface layer to that of the whole water column by 0.4 and 2.3% year⁻¹ in the subtropical area along 137°E (STA₁₃₇) during 1972 to 1997 and in the Kuroshio Extension area along 175°E (KEA₁₇₅) during 1990 to 2001; (2) increasing linear trend of the depth of subsurface Chl-a maximum (DCM) by 0.4 and 2.6 m year⁻¹ in STA₁₃₇ and KEA₁₇₅; and (3) decreasing linear trend of larger-size Chl-a (>3 μm) by 0.1 and 2.5% year⁻¹ in STA₁₃₇ and KEA₁₇₅, respectively. Water density (σ _θ ) at 75 m depth had also decreased by 0.006 and 0.05 year⁻¹ in STA₁₃₇ and KEA₁₇₅, respectively. The ratio of biogenic opal to biogenic CaCO₃ in the sinking flux decreased by 0.015 year⁻¹ in the subtropical region from 1997 to 2005. These findings may indicate that the subsurface chlorophyll maximum is deepening and larger phytoplankton such as diatoms has been decreasing during the past decade, associated with the decreasing density of surface water caused by warming in the western North Pacific, especially in the summer.     

末次冰期低纬度西太平洋硅藻席沉积与生态特征

硅藻在全球碳循环中发挥着重要的作用。"树荫种"硅藻在次表层水体中的勃发成席,并迅速埋藏成为硅藻席沉积,使人们逐渐意识到次表层生产在整个生产力及输出生产中起着重要作用。介绍了首次在低纬度西太平洋区域发现的硅藻席沉积的分布特征,硅藻席发现站位呈带状分布,大致呈北西-南东向展布,大部分散布在17.5°～20°N之间。采集到硅藻席沉积物的站位其水深在碳酸钙补偿深度(CCD)以下4837～6150m的深水区,多分布在较平坦的海底,且受风力和陆源物质输入影响相对较强的区域。该区域硅藻席的形成可能是由于末次冰期时该海区有大洋锋面的形成所致。该区域的成席硅藻Ethmodiscus rex(Wallich)Hendey为典型的"树荫种"硅藻,可以通过自身调节浮力的作用,在水体相对稳定的贫氧大洋中生存并勃发成席。末次冰期低纬度西太平洋硅藻席沉积的发生,可能使该区成为CO2的汇。     

台风对海洋叶绿素a浓度影响的定量遥感初探

研究台风对海洋水色环境的影响,是目前海洋遥感技术又一应用领域。由于台风期间天气恶劣,遥感资料较少,国际上主要针对个别典型台风,研究其对海表温度、海洋叶绿素a浓度及初级生产力的影响,很少通过遥感资料系统地对这一影响进行定量分析和建模。自2000到2007年,过境中国近海以及西北太平洋海域台风近百次,作者通过系统地分析这期间MODIS,SeaWiFS的3A级叶绿素a浓度数据,结果发现:(1)台风促进了相应海域叶绿素a浓度的大幅增长,总体上平均增长约1.426倍,个别区域在5倍以上,同时,该增长一般延后3~6d,在7~10d后恢复到原来的水平;(2)进一步对这些数据进行一元统计线性回归,发现叶绿素a浓度增长比(R_chl-a)与台风影响因子(Tsub>w)满足如下关系:R_chl-a=0.0012Tsub>w+1.017,其相关系数达0.8;(3)台风期间叶绿素a浓度与无台风时叶绿素a浓度之间有很强的线性关系,其关系满足:C_chl-a=1.2367C_0chl-a+0.0636,且相关系数高达0.98。这一初步研究结果对进一步通过遥感手段深入研究台风对海洋水色环境的影响有借鉴意义。     

Identification of CO2 disposal locations in an ocean general circulation model of the North Pacific

A basinwide ocean general circulation model of the North Pacific is used to identify which location is more efficient for ocean CO2 sequestration in the North Pacific. Four injection depths at each one of fifteen locations are chosen. In terms of effectiveness index (EI) and escape factor (EF), it is clear that the effectiveness increases with increasing latitude at the end of the 50 a injection period. Sitebysite differences in the EI can be over 9% for the 1 000 m injection depth in the western North Pacific at the end of 50 a of continuous injection. The difference is much larger for the 500 m injection. The difference decreases with increasing injection depth. However, the sitebysite difference is small for the injection in the eastern North Pacific. The sequestration is more efficient for the injection in the east than in the west. For the 500 m injection depth, the difference in effectiveness between the west and the east is over 10% at the end of 50 a injection period. The largest concentration of sequestered CO2 increases with increasing injection depth. For the injection in both the western and central North Pacific, the largest exchange flux always appears to be at about 42°N, 150°E, whereas for the injection in the eastern area the large flux appears to be in the equatorial region (120°W).