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Small Phytoplankton Shapes Colored Dissolved Organic Matter Dynamics in the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre
Author(s) -
Organelli Emanuele,
Claustre Hervé
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2019gl084699
Subject(s) - colored dissolved organic matter , ocean gyre , phytoplankton , ocean color , oceanography , biogeochemical cycle , environmental science , dissolved organic carbon , subtropics , pelagic zone , ocean dynamics , chlorophyll a , ocean current , ecology , geology , chemistry , biology , physics , satellite , astronomy , nutrient , biochemistry
The North Atlantic subtropical gyre (NASTG) is a model of the future ocean under climate change. Ocean warming signals are hidden within the blue color of these clear waters and can be tracked by understanding the dynamics among phytoplankton chlorophyll ([Chl]) and colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM). In NASTG, [Chl] and CDOM are strongly correlated. Yet, this unusual correlation for open oceans remains unexplained. Here, we test main hypotheses by analyzing high spatiotemporal resolution data collected by Biogeochemical‐Argo floats between 2012 and 2018. The direct production of CDOM via phytoplankton metabolism is the main occurring mechanism. More importantly, CDOM dynamics strongly depend on the abundance of picophytoplankton. Our findings thus highlight the critical role of these small organisms under the ocean warming scenario. Picophytoplankton will enhance the production of colored dissolved compounds and, ultimately, impact on the ocean carbon cycle.