ALBERT

Description: We report results from two Lagrangian drifter surveys off the Oregon coast, using continuous shipboard sensors to estimate mixed-layer gross primary productivity (GPP), community respiration (CR), and net community production (NCP) from variations in biological oxygen saturation (ΔO2∕Ar) and optically derived particulate organic carbon (POC). At the first drifter survey, conducted in a nearshore upwelling zone during the development of a microplankton bloom, net changes in ΔO2∕Ar and [POC] were significantly decoupled. Differences in GPP and NCP derived from ΔO2∕Ar (NCPO2/Ar) and POC (NCPPOC) time series suggest the presence of large POC losses from the mixed layer. At this site, we utilized the discrepancy between NCPO2/Ar and NCPPOC, and additional constraints derived from surface water excess nitrous oxide (N2O), to evaluate POC loss through particle export, DOC production, and vertical mixing fluxes. At the second drifter survey, conducted in lower-productivity, density-stratified offshore waters, we also observed offsets between ΔO2∕Ar and POC-derived GPP and CR rates. At this site, however, net [POC] and ΔO2∕Ar changes yielded closer agreement in NCP estimates, suggesting a tighter relationship between production and community respiration, as well as lower POC loss rates. These results provide insight into the possibilities and limitations of estimating productivity from continuous underway POC and ΔO2∕Ar data in contrasting oceanic waters. Our observations support the use of diel POC measurements to estimate NCP in lower-productivity waters with limited vertical carbon export and the potential utility of coupled O2 and optical measurements to estimate the fate of POC in high-productivity regions with significant POC export.

Description: Large-scale climatic forcing is impacting oceanic biogeochemical cycles and is expected to influence the water-column distribution of trace gases, including methane and nitrous oxide. Our ability as a scientific community to evaluate changes in the water-column inventories of methane and nitrous oxide depends largely on our capacity to obtain robust and accurate concentration measurements that can be validated across different laboratory groups. This study represents the first formal international intercomparison of oceanic methane and nitrous oxide measurements whereby participating laboratories received batches of seawater samples from the subtropical Pacific Ocean and the Baltic Sea. Additionally, compressed gas standards from the same calibration scale were distributed to the majority of participating laboratories to improve the analytical accuracy of the gas measurements. The computations used by each laboratory to derive the dissolved gas concentrations were also evaluated for inconsistencies (e.g., pressure and temperature corrections, solubility constants). The results from the intercomparison and intercalibration provided invaluable insights into methane and nitrous oxide measurements. It was observed that analyses of seawater samples with the lowest concentrations of methane and nitrous oxide had the lowest precisions. In comparison, while the analytical precision for samples with the highest concentrations of trace gases was better, the variability between the different laboratories was higher: 36 % for methane and 27 % for nitrous oxide. In addition, the comparison of different batches of seawater samples with methane and nitrous oxide concentrations that ranged over an order of magnitude revealed the ramifications of different calibration procedures for each trace gas. Finally, this study builds upon the intercomparison results to develop recommendations for improving oceanic methane and nitrous oxide measurements, with the aim of precluding future analytical discrepancies between laboratories.

Description: Active chlorophyll a fluorescence approaches, including fast repetition rate fluorometry (FRRF), have the potential to provide estimates of phytoplankton primary productivity at an unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution. FRRF-derived productivity rates are based on estimates of charge separation in reaction center II (ETRRCII), which must be converted into ecologically relevant units of carbon fixation. Understanding sources of variability in the coupling of ETRRCII and carbon fixation provides physiological insight into phytoplankton photosynthesis and is critical for the application of FRRF as a primary productivity measurement tool. In the present study, we simultaneously measured phytoplankton carbon fixation and ETRRCII in the iron-limited NE subarctic Pacific over the course of a diurnal cycle. We show that rates of ETRRCII are closely tied to the diurnal cycle in light availability, whereas rates of carbon fixation appear to be influenced by endogenous changes in metabolic energy allocation under iron-limited conditions. Unsynchronized diurnal oscillations of the two rates led to 3.5-fold changes in the conversion factor between ETRRCII and carbon fixation (Kc / nPSII). Consequently, diurnal variability in phytoplankton carbon fixation cannot be adequately captured with FRRF approaches if a constant conversion factor is applied. Utilizing several auxiliary photophysiological measurements, we observed that a high conversion factor is associated with conditions of excess light and correlates with the increased expression of non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) in the pigment antenna, as derived from FRRF measurements. The observed correlation between NPQ and Kc / nPSII requires further validation but has the potential to improve estimates of phytoplankton carbon fixation rates from FRRF measurements alone.

Description: Understanding the dynamics of marine phytoplankton productivity requires mechanistic insight into the non-linear coupling of light absorption, photosynthetic electron transport and carbon fixation in response to environmental variability. In the present study, we examined the variability of phytoplankton light absorption characteristics, light-dependent electron transport and 14C-uptake rates over a 48 h period in the coastal subarctic north-east (NE) Pacific. We observed an intricately coordinated response of the different components of the photosynthetic process to diurnal irradiance cycles, which acted to maximize carbon fixation, while simultaneously preventing damage by excess absorbed light energy. In particular, we found diurnal adjustments in pigment ratios, excitation energy transfer to reaction centre II (RCII), the capacity for non-photochemical quenching (NPQ), and the light efficiency (α) and maximum rates (Pmax) of RCII electron transport (ETRRCII) and 14C uptake. Comparison of these results from coastal waters to previous observations in offshore waters of the subarctic NE Pacific provides insight into the effects of iron limitation on the optimization of photosynthesis. Under iron-limited, low-biomass conditions, there was a significant reduction of iron-rich photosynthetic units per chlorophyll a, which was partly offset by higher light absorption and electron transport per photosystem II (PSII). Iron deficiency limited the capacity of phytoplankton to utilize peak midday irradiance for carbon fixation and caused an upregulation of photoprotective mechanisms, including NPQ, and the decoupling of light absorption, electron transport and carbon fixation. Such decoupling resulted in an increased electron requirement (Φe,C) and decreased quantum efficiency (ΦC) of carbon fixation at the iron-limited station. In both coastal and offshore waters, Φe,C and ΦC correlated strongly to NPQ, albeit with a significantly different slope. We discuss the implications of our results for the interpretation of bio-optical data and the parameterization of numerical productivity models, both of which are vital tools in monitoring marine photosynthesis over large temporal and spatial scales.

Description: The northeast subarctic Pacific (NESAP) is a globally important source of the climate-active gas dimethylsulfide (DMS), yet the processes driving DMS variability across this region are poorly understood. Here we examine the spatial distribution of DMS at various spatial scales in contrasting oceanographic regimes of the NESAP. We present new high-spatial-resolution measurements of DMS across hydrographic frontal zones along the British Columbia continental shelf, together with key environmental variables and biological rate measurements. We combine these new data with existing observations to produce a revised summertime DMS climatology for the NESAP, yielding a broader context for our sub-mesoscale process studies. Our results demonstrate sharp DMS concentration gradients across hydrographic frontal zones and suggest the presence of two distinct DMS cycling regimes in the NESAP, corresponding to microphytoplankton-dominated waters along the continental shelf and nanoplankton-dominated waters in the cross-shelf transitional zone. DMS concentrations across the continental shelf transition (range 

Description: Large scale climatic forcing is impacting oceanic biogeochemical cycles and is expected to influence the water-column distribution of trace gases including methane and nitrous oxide. Our ability as a scientific community to evaluate changes in the water-column inventories of methane and nitrous oxide depends largely on our capacity to obtain robust and accurate concentration measurements which can be validated across different laboratory groups. This study represents the first formal, international, intercomparison of oceanic methane and nitrous oxide measurements whereby participating laboratories received batches of seawater samples from the subtropical Pacific and the Baltic Sea. Additionally, compressed gas standards from the same calibration scale were distributed to the majority of participating laboratories to improve the analytical accuracy of the gas measurements. The computations used by each laboratory to derive the dissolved gas concentrations were also evaluated for inconsistencies (e.g. pressure and temperature corrections, solubility constants). The results from the intercomparison and intercalibration exercises provided invaluable insights into methane and nitrous oxide measurements. It was observed that analyses of seawater samples with the lowest concentrations of methane and nitrous oxide had the lowest precisions. In comparison, while the analytical precision for samples with the highest concentrations of trace gases was better, the variability between the different laboratories was higher; 36% for methane and 27% for nitrous oxide. In addition, the comparison of different batches of seawater samples with methane and nitrous oxide concentrations that ranged over an order of magnitude revealed the ramifications of different calibration procedures for each trace gas. Overall, this paper builds upon the intercomparison results to develop a framework for improving oceanic methane and nitrous oxide measurements, with the aim of precluding future analytical discrepancies between laboratories.

Description: The northeast subarctic Pacific (NESAP) is a globally important source of the climate-active gas dimethylsulfide (DMS), yet the processes driving DMS variability across this region are poorly understood. Here we examine the spatial distribution of DMS at various spatial scales across contrasting oceanographic regimes of the NESAP. We present a new data set of high spatial resolution DMS measurements across hydrographic frontal zones along the British Columbia continental shelf, together with key environmental variables and biological rate measurements. We combine these new data with existing observations to produce a revised summertime DMS climatology for the NESAP, yielding a broader context for our sub-mesoscale process studies. Our results demonstrate sharp DMS concentration gradients across hydrographic frontal zones, and suggest the presence of two distinct DMS cycling regimes corresponding to microphytoplankton-dominated waters along the continental shelf, and nanoplankton-dominated cross-shelf transitional waters. DMS concentrations across the continental shelf transition (range

Description: We report results from two Lagrangian surveys off the coast of Oregon, using continuous ship-board sensors to estimate mixed layer net community production (NCP) from diel cycles in biological oxygen saturation (∆O2 / Ar) and optically-derived estimates of particulate organic carbon (POC) and phytoplankton carbon (Cph). The first drifter survey, conducted in a nearshore upwelling zone during the development of a microplankton bloom, exhibited significant differences in NCP derived from ∆O2 / Ar and POC diel cycles, suggesting the presence of large POC losses from the mixed layer. At this site, we utilized the discrepancy between NCPO2 / Ar and NCPPOC, along with additional constraints derived from mixed layer nutrient inventories and surface water excess nitrous oxide (N2O), to estimate particle export, vertical mixing fluxes and DOC production. We estimate that export, vertical mixing and DOC production account for 13–45 %, 24–38 % and 25–49 % of the daily NCP discrepancy, respectively. In contrast, the second drifter survey occurred in more oligotrophic offshore waters, where NCP derived from ∆O2 / Ar and POC measurements were more closely coupled, suggesting a tighter relationship between production and community respiration. These results support the use of diel POC measurements to accurately estimate NCP in lower productivity waters with limited vertical carbon export. Although diel POC measurements may underestimate NCP in higher productivity waters, our results highlight the potential utility of coupled O2 and optical measurements to estimate the fate of POC in such regions.

Description: In the current era of rapid climate change, accurate characterization of climate-relevant gas dynamics – namely production, consumption, and net emissions – is required for all biomes, especially those ecosystems most susceptible to the impact of change. Marine environments include regions that act as net sources or sinks for numerous climate-active trace gases including methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). The temporal and spatial distributions of CH4 and N2O are controlled by the interaction of complex biogeochemical and physical processes. To evaluate and quantify how these mechanisms affect marine CH4 and N2O cycling requires a combination of traditional scientific disciplines including oceanography, microbiology, and numerical modeling. Fundamental to these efforts is ensuring that the datasets produced by independent scientists are comparable and interoperable. Equally critical is transparent communication within the research community about the technical improvements required to increase our collective understanding of marine CH4 and N2O. A workshop sponsored by Ocean Carbon and Biogeochemistry (OCB) was organized to enhance dialogue and collaborations pertaining to marine CH4 and N2O. Here, we summarize the outcomes from the workshop to describe the challenges and opportunities for near-future CH4 and N2O research in the marine environment.