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Strong and regionally distinct links between ice‐retreat timing and phytoplankton production in the Arctic Ocean
Author(s) -
Song Hongjun,
Ji Rubao,
Jin Meibing,
Li Yun,
Feng Zhixuan,
Varpe Øystein,
Davis Cabell S.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
limnology and oceanography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.7
H-Index - 197
eISSN - 1939-5590
pISSN - 0024-3590
DOI - 10.1002/lno.11768
Subject(s) - sea ice , oceanography , phytoplankton , bloom , arctic , environmental science , biogeochemical cycle , arctic ice pack , algal bloom , marine ecosystem , arctic sea ice decline , stratification (seeds) , geology , ecosystem , nutrient , drift ice , ecology , biology , seed dormancy , botany , germination , dormancy
Recent rapid sea‐ice changes in the Arctic Ocean have been widely considered to alter phytoplankton bloom timing and primary production, but the magnitude and regionality of this effect remain unclear. Here, we examined the spatial patterns in bloom timing, bloom magnitude, and primary productivity in relation to ice‐retreat timing, using a combination of satellite observations and numerical modeling. We found distinct regional differences in how the phytoplankton bloom relates to ice‐retreat timing. In the Arctic shelf regions, earlier and stronger blooms follow earlier annual ice retreats and enhanced light availability. By contrast, in some parts of the central Arctic, especially in the Canada Basin, there have been weakened blooms and reduced primary production in recent years. This reduction is largely due to a chain reaction triggered by earlier ice‐melt and enhanced haline stratification, which further suppress vertical nutrient exchange and reduce surface nutrients in an already nutrient‐limited system. Recognizing and quantifying strong and regionally distinct links between sea‐ice retreat and primary production will improve spatiotemporal projections of biogeochemical cycles and trophic flows in Arctic marine ecosystems.