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Short- and long-term response of phytoplankton to ENSO in Prydz Bay, Antarctica: Evidences from field measurements, remote sensing data and stratigraphic biomarker records

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Abstract

The study provides one of the first lines of evidence showing linkages between Antarctic phytoplankton abundance and composition in response to ENSO, based on historical reconstruction of sediment biomarkers. In addition to sediment biomarkers, field measured and remote sensing data of phytoplankton abundance were also recorded from Prydz Bay, Eastern Antarctica. Community structure of field measured phytoplankton showed significant El Niño/La Niña-related succession during 1990 to 2002. In general, the number of algae species decreased during El Niño and La Niña years compared to normal years. Austral summer monthly variation of remotely sensed chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), particulate organic carbon (POC), and sea surface temperature (SST) indicated that ENSO impacted the timing of phytoplankton blooms during 2007 to 2011. Phytoplankton blooms (indicated by Chl-a and POC) preceded the increases in SST during El Niño years, and lagged behind the SST increases during La Niña years. Stratigraphic record of marine sedimentary lipid (brassicasterol, dinosterol and alkenones) biomarkers inferred that the proportions of different algae (diatoms, dinoflagellates and haptophytes) changed significantly between El Niño and La Niña events. The relative proportion of diatoms increased, with that of dinoflagellates being decreased during El Niño years, while it was reversed during La Niña years.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Second Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration (SOA), Hangzhou, 310012, P. R. China

    Jun Zhao, Haisheng Zhang, Zhengbing Han, Chuanyu Hu, Peisong Yu & Bing Lu

  2. Key Laboratory of Marine Ecosystem and Biogeochemistry, SOA, Hangzhou, 310012, P. R. China

    Jun Zhao, Haisheng Zhang, Zhengbing Han, Chuanyu Hu, Peisong Yu & Bing Lu

  3. Institute of Ecology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, D-07743, Germany

    Hans-Ulrich Peter

  4. Department of Geological Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611-2120, USA

    Thomas S. Bianchi

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  1. Jun Zhao
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  2. Hans-Ulrich Peter
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  3. Haisheng Zhang
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  4. Zhengbing Han
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  5. Chuanyu Hu
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  8. Thomas S. Bianchi
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Correspondence to Haisheng Zhang.

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Zhao, J., Peter, HU., Zhang, H. et al. Short- and long-term response of phytoplankton to ENSO in Prydz Bay, Antarctica: Evidences from field measurements, remote sensing data and stratigraphic biomarker records. J. Ocean Univ. China 13, 437–444 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11802-014-2231-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11802-014-2231-3

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