ALBERT

Description: Oceanic detachment faulting, a major mode of seafloor accretion at slow and ultraslow spreading ridges, is thought to occur during magma‐poor phases and be abandoned when magmatism increases. In this framework, detachment faulting is the result of temporal variations in magma flux, which is inconsistent with recent geophysical observations at the Longqi segment on the Southwest Indian Ridge (49°42′E). In this paper, we focus on this sequentially active detachment faulting system that includes an old, inactive detachment fault and a younger, active detachment fault. We investigate the mechanisms controlling the temporal evolution of this tectonomagmatic system by using 2D mid‐ocean ridge spreading models that simulate faulting and magma intrusion into a visco‐elasto‐plastic continuum. Our models show that temporal variations in magma flux alone are insufficient to match the inferred temporal evolution of the sequentially active detachment system. Rather we find that sequentially active detachment faulting spontaneously occurs at the Longqi segment as a function of lithospheric thickness. This finding is in agreement with an analytical model, which shows that a thicker axial lithosphere results in a smaller fault heave and that a flatter angle in lithosphere thickening away from the accretion axis stabilizes the active fault. A thicker axial lithosphere and its flatter off‐axis angle combined have the potential to modulate sequentially active detachment faulting at the Longqi segment. Our results thus suggest that temporal changes of magmatism are not necessary for the development and abandonment of detachment faults at ultraslow spreading ridges.

Description: Mesoscale eddies are common in the subtropical Northwest Pacific, however, relatively little is known about their spatial variability and temporal evolution, and how these impact upper ocean biogeochemistry. Here we investigate these using observations of a cyclonic eddy carried out along four sequential transects. Consistent with previous observations of cyclonic eddies, the eddy core had doming isopycnals, bringing elevated nutrient waters nearer to the surface. However, we also found that the upper layer of the eddy above the nutricline had significantly lower phosphate concentrations within its core relative to its edge. We attributed this to elevated N 2 fixation within the eddy core, which was likely driven by enhanced subsurface iron supply, ultimately resulting in increased phosphate consumption. Eddy‐enhanced N 2 fixation was additionally supported by the elevation of nitrate + nitrite to phosphate ratios below the euphotic zone. Moreover, we observed that while the upward displacement of isopycnals within the eddy core led to an increase in phytoplankton biomass in the lower euphotic zone, there was no significant increase in total phytoplankton biomass across the entire euphotic zone. Cyclonic eddies in the subtropical North Pacific are projected to be becoming more frequent, implying that such dynamics could become increasingly important for regulating nutrient biogeochemistry and ultimately productivity of the region. Key Points Lower phosphate concentrations were observed above the nutricline within the eddy core in comparison to the edge Enhanced N2 fixation within the eddy core is proposed to have driven increased phosphate consumption No substantial total phytoplankton biomass increase was found within the eddy core

Description: Observation‐based quantification of ocean carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) uptake relies on synthesis data sets such as the Surface Ocean CO 2 ATlas (SOCAT). However, the data collection effort has dramatically declined and the number of annual data sets in SOCATv2023 decreased by ∼35% from 2017 to 2021. This decline has led to a 65% increase (from 0.15 to 0.25 Pg C yr −1 ) in the standard deviation of seven SOCAT‐based air‐sea CO 2 flux estimates. Reducing the availability of the annual data to that in the year 2000 creates substantial bias (50%) in the long‐term flux trend. The annual mean CO 2 flux is insensitive to the seasonal skew of the SOCAT data and to the addition of the lower accuracy data set available in SOCAT. Our study highlights the need for sustained data collection and synthesis, to inform the Global Carbon Budget assessment, the UN‐led climate negotiations, and measurement, reporting, and verification of ocean‐based CO 2 removal projects. Plain Language Summary The Surface Ocean CO 2 ATlas (SOCAT) data set plays a crucial role in estimating the ocean carbon sink component of the Global Carbon Budget. However, the number of data sets available in SOCAT each year has drastically decreased since 2017. This study shows that the uncertainty in the data‐based ocean CO 2 flux estimate has increased by 65% due to this decline in data availability. The estimated fluxes, especially the long‐term flux trend, are remarkably affected by the data availability in SOCAT, reducing the reliability of ocean CO 2 uptake estimates in years and regions with sparse observations. Key Points Lower surface ocean f CO 2 data availability leads to higher uncertainty in data‐based estimates of ocean CO 2 uptake The long‐term trend in the ocean CO 2 flux increases by 1.5 times for subsequent years if the data availability is reduced to that in 2000 The annual mean CO 2 flux is not sensitive to the seasonal skew in the data and to the addition of low accuracy data

Description: This paper positions possibilities for human geographies of the sea. The growing volume of work under this banner has been largely qualitative in its approach, reflecting, in turn, the questions posed by oceanic scholars. These questions necessitate corresponding methods. Whilst this is not necessarily a problem, and the current corpus of work has offered many significant contributions, in making sense of the human dimensions of maritime worlds, other questions—and methods—may generate knowledge that is useful within this remit of work. This paper considers the place of quantitative approaches in posing lines of enquiry about shipping, one of the prominent areas of concern under the banner of ‘human geographies of the seas’. There is longstanding work in transport geographies concerned with shipping, logistics, freight movement and global connections, which embraces quantitative methods which could be bridged to ask fresh questions about oceanic spatial phenomena past and present. This paper reviews the state of the art of human geographies of the sea and transport geographies and navigates how the former field may be stimulated by some of the interests of the latter and a broader range of questions about society-sea-space relations. The paper focuses on Automatic Identification Systems (or AIS) as a potentially useful tool for connecting debates, and deepening spatial understandings of the seas and shipping beyond current scholarship. To advance the argument the example of shipping layups is used to illustrate or rather, position, the point.

Description: This paper positions possibilities for human geographies of the sea. The growing volume of work under this banner has been largely qualitative in its approach, reflecting, in turn, the questions posed by oceanic scholars. These questions necessitate corresponding methods. Whilst this is not necessarily a problem, and the current corpus of work has offered many significant contributions, in making sense of the human dimensions of maritime worlds, other questions—and methods—may generate knowledge that is useful within this remit of work. This paper considers the place of quantitative approaches in posing lines of enquiry about shipping, one of the prominent areas of concern under the banner of ‘human geographies of the seas’. There is longstanding work in transport geographies concerned with shipping, logistics, freight movement and global connections, which embraces quantitative methods which could be bridged to ask fresh questions about oceanic spatial phenomena past and present. This paper reviews the state of the art of human geographies of the sea and transport geographies and navigates how the former field may be stimulated by some of the interests of the latter and a broader range of questions about society-sea-space relations. The paper focuses on Automatic Identification Systems (or AIS) as a potentially useful tool for connecting debates, and deepening spatial understandings of the seas and shipping beyond current scholarship. To advance the argument the example of shipping layups is used to illustrate or rather, position, the point.

Description: We analysed the robustness of species identification based on proteomic composition to data processing and intraspecific variability, specificity and sensitivity of species-markers as well as discriminatory power of proteomic fingerprinting and its sensitivity to phylogenetic distance. Our analysis is based on MALDI-TOF MS (matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry) data from 32 marine copepod species coming from 13 regions (North and Central Atlantic and adjacent seas). A random forest (RF) model correctly classified all specimens to the species level with only small sensitivity to data processing, demonstrating the strong robustness of the method. Compounds with high specificity showed low sensitivity, that is identification was based on complex pattern-differences rather than on presence of single markers. Proteomic distance was not consistently related to phylogenetic distance. A species-gap in proteome composition appeared at 0.7 Euclidean distance when using only specimens from the same sample. When other regions or seasons were included, intraspecific variability increased, resulting in overlaps of intra and inter-specific distance. Highest intraspecific distances (〉0.7) were observed between specimens from brackish and marine habitats (i.e., salinity probably affects proteomic patterns). When testing library sensitivity of the RF model to regionality, strong misidentification was only detected between two congener pairs. Still, the choice of reference library may have an impact on identification of closely related species and should be tested before routine application. We envisage high relevance of this time- and cost-efficient method for future zooplankton monitoring as it provides not only in-depth taxonomic resolution for counted specimens but also add-on information, such as on developmental stage or environmental conditions.

Description: Microalgae are the main source of the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), essential for the healthy development of most marine and terrestrial fauna including humans. Inverse correlations of algal EPA and DHA proportions (% of total fatty acids) with temperature have led to suggestions of a warming-induced decline in the global production of these biomolecules and an enhanced importance of high latitude organisms for their provision. The cold Arctic Ocean is a potential hotspot of EPA and DHA production, but consequences of global warming are unknown. Here, we combine a full-seasonal EPA and DHA dataset from the Central Arctic Ocean (CAO), with results from 13 previous field studies and 32 cultured algal strains to examine five potential climate change effects; ice algae loss, community shifts, increase in light, nutrients, and temperature. The algal EPA and DHA proportions were lower in the ice-covered CAO than in warmer peripheral shelf seas, which indicates that the paradigm of an inverse correlation of EPA and DHA proportions with temperature may not hold in the Arctic. We found no systematic differences in the summed EPA and DHA proportions of sea ice versus pelagic algae, and in diatoms versus non-diatoms. Overall, the algal EPA and DHA proportions varied up to four-fold seasonally and 10-fold regionally, pointing to strong light and nutrient limitations in the CAO. Where these limitations ease in a warming Arctic, EPA and DHA proportions are likely to increase alongside increasing primary production, with nutritional benefits for a non-ice-associated food web.

Description: Microalgae are the main source of the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), essential for the healthy development of most marine and terrestrial fauna including humans. Inverse correlations of algal EPA and DHA proportions (% of total fatty acids) with temperature have led to suggestions of a warming-induced decline in the global production of these biomolecules and an enhanced importance of high latitude organisms for their provision. The cold Arctic Ocean is a potential hotspot of EPA and DHA production, but consequences of global warming are unknown. Here, we combine a full-seasonal EPA and DHA dataset from the Central Arctic Ocean (CAO), with results from 13 previous field studies and 32 cultured algal strains to examine five potential climate change effects; ice algae loss, community shifts, increase in light, nutrients, and temperature. The algal EPA and DHA proportions were lower in the ice-covered CAO than in warmer peripheral shelf seas, which indicates that the paradigm of an inverse correlation of EPA and DHA proportions with temperature may not hold in the Arctic. We found no systematic differences in the summed EPA and DHA proportions of sea ice versus pelagic algae, and in diatoms versus non-diatoms. Overall, the algal EPA and DHA proportions varied up to four-fold seasonally and 10-fold regionally, pointing to strong light and nutrient limitations in the CAO. Where these limitations ease in a warming Arctic, EPA and DHA proportions are likely to increase alongside increasing primary production, with nutritional benefits for a non-ice-associated food web.

Description: CO2 release from thawing permafrost is both a consequence of, and a driver for, global warming, making accurate information on the Arctic carbon cycle essential for climate predictions. Eddy covariance data obtained from Bayelva (Svalbard) in 2015, using well‐established processing and quality control techniques, indicate that most of the annual net CO2 uptake is due to high CO2 flux events in winter that are associated with strong winds and probably relate to technical limitations of the gas analyzer. Emission events may relate to either (unidentified) instrumental limitations or to physical processes such as CO2 advection. Excluding the high winter uptake events yields an annual CO2 budget close to zero; whether or not these events are included can, therefore, have a considerable effect on carbon budget calculations. Further investigation will be crucial to pinpoint the factors causing these high CO2 flux events and to derive scientifically substantiated flux processing standards.