ALBERT

Beschreibung: Global mass balance calculations indicate the majority of particulate organic carbon (POC) exported from shelf seas is transferred via downslope exchange processes. Here we demonstrate the downslope flux of POC from the Hebrides Shelf is approximately 3-to-5-fold larger per unit length/area than the global mean. To reach this conclusion we quantified the offshore transport of particulate and dissolved carbon fractions via the “Ekman Drain”, a strong downwelling feature of the NW European Shelf circulation, and subsequently compared these fluxes to simultaneous regional air-sea CO 2 fluxes and on-shore wind-driven Ekman fluxes to constrain the carbon dynamics of this shelf. Along the shelf break we estimate a mean offshelf total carbon (dissolved + particulate) flux of 4.2 tonnes C m −1 d −1 compared to an onshelf flux of 4.5 tonnes C m −1 d −1 . Organic carbon represented 3.3% of the onshelf carbon flux but 6.4% of the offshelf flux indicating net organic carbon export. Dissolved organic carbon represented 95% and POC 5% of the exported organic carbon pool. When scaled along the shelf break the total offshelf POC flux (0.007 Tg C d −1 ) was found to be three times larger than the regional air-sea CO 2 ingassing flux (0.0021 Tg C d −1 ), an order of magnitude larger than the particulate inorganic carbon flux (0.0003 Tg C d −1 ) but far smaller than the DIC (2.03 Tg C d −1 ) or DOC (0.13 Tg C d −1 ) fluxes. Significant spatial heterogeneity in the Ekman drain transport confirms that offshelf carbon fluxes via this mechanism are also spatially heterogeneous. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Beschreibung: Recent work has shown that variability in the properties and/or transport of Mediterranean Seawaters spilling across the Strait of Gibraltar into the North Atlantic have had little impact on the variability of Mediterranean Outflow Water (MOW) in the that basin over the past fifty years. Here we investigate whether circulation changes are the dominant source of MOW variability in the North Atlantic between 1948 and 2006. Using a 1/3° North Atlantic configuration of the HYbrid Coordinate Ocean Model combined with the Marginal Sea Boundary Condition model, two simulations forced by either climatological or interannual atmospheric fields are performed. The interannual simulation reproduces the observed MOW variability without Mediterranean Seawater changes. Thus, we conclude that MOW variability in the last 60 years is a consequence of circulation changes in the North Atlantic. A series of simulations that separate the mechanical effect of the wind from the impact of buoyancy forcing show that MOW variability can be attributed to shifts between its dominant northward and westward pathways. The pathway shifts from predominantly northward between 1950 and 1975 to predominantly westward between 1975 and 1995 and finally back to northward after 1995. Though these pathway shifts appear to be wind-induced, the property changes are caused by the combined impact of wind and buoyancy forcing on the circulation of the North Atlantic.

Beschreibung: Under projections of global climate change and other stressors, significant changes in the ecology, structure and function of coral reefs are predicted. Current management strategies tend to look to the past to set goals, focusing on halting declines and restoring baseline conditions. Here we explore a complementary approach to decision making that is based on the anticipation of future changes in ecosystem state, function and services. Reviewing the existing literature and utilizing a scenario planning approach we explore how the structure of coral reef communities might change in the future in response to global climate change and overfishing pressure. We incorporate uncertainties in our predictions by considering heterogeneity in reef types in relation to structural complexity and primary productivity. We examine 14 ecosystem services provided by reefs, and rate their sensitivity to a range of future scenarios and management options. Our predictions suggest that the efficacy of management is highly dependent on biophysical characteristics and reef state. Reserves are currently widely used and are predicted to remain effective for reefs with high structural complexity. However, when complexity is lost, maximizing service provision requires a broader portfolio of management approaches, including the provision of artificial complexity, coral restoration, fish aggregation devices and herbivore management. Increased use of such management tools will require capacity building and technique refinement and we therefore conclude that diversification of our management toolbox should be considered urgently to prepare for the challenges of managing reefs into the 21 st century. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Beschreibung: One striking feature of coral reef ecosystems is the complex benthic architecture which supports diverse and abundant fauna, particularly of reef fish. Reef-building corals are in decline worldwide, with a corresponding loss of live coral cover resulting in a loss of architectural complexity. Understanding the dynamics of the reef architecture is therefore important to envision the ability of corals to maintain functional habitats in an era of climate change. Here, we develop a mechanistic model of reef topographic complexity for contemporary Caribbean reefs. The model describes the dynamics of corals and other benthic taxa under climate-driven disturbances (hurricanes and coral bleaching). Corals have a simplified shape with explicit diameter and height, allowing species-specific calculation of their colony surface and volume. Growth and the mechanical (hurricanes) and biological erosion (parrotfish) of carbonate skeletons are important in driving the pace of extension/reduction of the upper reef surface, the net outcome being quantified by a simple surface roughness index (reef rugosity). The model accurately simulated the decadal changes of coral cover observed in Cozumel (Mexico) between 1984 and 2008, and provided a realistic hindcast of coral colony-scale (1-10 m) changing rugosity over the same period. We then projected future changes of Caribbean reef rugosity in response to global warming. Under severe and frequent thermal stress, the model predicted a dramatic loss of rugosity over the next two or three decades. Critically, reefs with managed parrotfish populations were able to delay the general loss of architectural complexity, as the benefits of grazing in maintaining living coral outweighed the bioerosion of dead coral skeletons. Overall, this model provides the first explicit projections of reef rugosity in a warming climate, and highlights the need of combining local (protecting and restoring high grazing) to global (mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions) interventions for the persistence of functional reef habitats. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Beschreibung: What is the temporal variability of the elemental stoichiometry of marine microbial communities across ocean regions? To answer this question, we present an analysis of environmental conditions, particulate organic carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus concentrations, and their ratios across 20 time-series (3 – 25 years duration) representing estuarine, coastal, and open ocean environments. The majority of stations showed significant seasonal oscillations in particulate organic elemental concentrations and ratios. However, shorter-term changes contributed most to overall variance in POM concentrations and ratios. We found a correlation between the seasonal oscillations of environmental conditions and elemental ratios at many coastal but not open ocean and estuarine stations. C:N peaked near the seasonal temperature minimum and nutrient maximum but some stations showed other seasonal links. C:N ratios declined with time over the respective observation periods at all open ocean and estuarine stations as well as at five coastal station but increased at the nine other coastal stations. C:P (but not N:P) declined slightly at BATS but showed large significant increases at HOT and Arendal stations. The relationships between long-term changes in environmental conditions and particulate organic matter concentrations or ratios were ambiguous, but interactions between changes in temperature and nutrient availability were important. Overall, our analysis demonstrates significant changes in elemental ratios at long-term and seasonal time-scales across regions but the underlying mechanisms are currently unclear. Thus, we need to better understand the detailed mechanisms driving the elemental composition of marine microbial ecosystems in order to predict how oceans will respond to environmental changes.

Beschreibung: [1]  High biological activity causes a distinct seasonality of surface water pH in the North Sea, which is a strong sink for atmospheric CO 2 via an effective shelf pump. The intimate connection between the North Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean suggests that the variability of the CO 2 system of the North Atlantic Ocean, may, in part be responsible for the observed variability of pH and CO 2 in the North Sea. In this work we demonstrate the role of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), the dominant climate mode for the North Atlantic, in governing this variability. Based on three extensive observational records covering the relevant levels of the NAO index, we provide evidence that the North Sea pH and CO 2 system strongly responds to external and internal expressions of the NAO. Under positive NAO the higher rates of inflow of water from the North Atlantic Ocean and the Baltic outflow leads to a strengthened north-south biogeochemical divide. The limited mixing between the north and south leads to a steeper gradient in pH and partial pressure of CO 2 (pCO 2 ) between the two regions in the productive period. This is exacerbated further when coinciding with higher sea surface temperature, which concentrates the net community production in the north through shallower stratification. These effects can be obscured by changing properties of the constituent North Sea water masses, which are also influenced by NAO. Our results highlight the importance of examining inter-annual trends in the North Sea CO 2 system with consideration of the NAO state.

Beschreibung: In the context of expansion of invasive species, survival of invasive plants is conditioned by their ability to adapt. In France, the water primrose Ludwigia grandiflora , an aquatic invasive species, invades yet wet meadows, leading to a depreciation of their fodder value. Understanding its potential adaption is necessary to its management, strong differences between both morphotypes were expected. So morphological and metabolic responses to terrestrial environment were analyzed for aquatic and terrestrial morphotypes. All morphological and biomass variables were greater in the terrestrial morphotype than the aquatic morphotype, independent of conditions. In terrestrial condition, both morphotypes showed a high production of sugars in root tissues, especially in the terrestrial morphotype and both morphotypes produced a low level of amino acids in shoot tissues. All results demonstrate that the terrestrial condition seems a stressful situation for both morphotypes, which activates glycolysis and fermentation pathways to improve their survival under hypoxic stress. But, only the terrestrial morphotype has been able to adjust its metabolism and maintain efficient growth. In the future, a differential transcriptomic analysis will be carried out to confirm this result. In France, the recent invasion of wet meadows by the aquatic invasive plant Ludwigia grandiflora has led the appearance of a terrestrial morphotype. Significant results reveal that this morphotype has shown new morphological and metabolomic capabilities to endure stressful conditions due to terrestrial habitat and surprisingly supplanted the aquatic morphotype in aquatic conditions. All results demonstrated the appearance of a new morphotype having new adaptive capacities.

Beschreibung: Zooplankton play an important role in global biogeochemistry, and their secondary production supports valuable fisheries of the world's oceans. Currently, zooplankton standing stocks cannot be estimated using remote sensing techniques. Hence, coupled physical–biogeochemical models (PBMs) provide an important tool for studying zooplankton on regional and global scales. However, evaluating the accuracy of zooplankton biomass estimates from PBMs has been a major challenge due to sparse observations. In this study, we configure a PBM for the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) from 1993 to 2012 and validate the model against an extensive combination of biomass and rate measurements. Spatial variability in a multidecadal database of mesozooplankton biomass for the northern GoM is well resolved by the model with a statistically significant (p 

Beschreibung: We present a new framework for global ocean–sea-ice model simulations based on phase 2 of the Ocean Model Intercomparison Project (OMIP-2), making use of the surface dataset based on the Japanese 55-year atmospheric reanalysis for driving ocean–sea-ice models (JRA55-do). We motivate the use of OMIP-2 over the framework for the first phase of OMIP (OMIP-1), previously referred to as the Coordinated Ocean–ice Reference Experiments (COREs), via the evaluation of OMIP-1 and OMIP-2 simulations from 11 state-of-the-science global ocean–sea-ice models. In the present evaluation, multi-model ensemble means and spreads are calculated separately for the OMIP-1 and OMIP-2 simulations and overall performance is assessed considering metrics commonly used by ocean modelers. Both OMIP-1 and OMIP-2 multi-model ensemble ranges capture observations in more than 80 % of the time and region for most metrics, with the multi-model ensemble spread greatly exceeding the difference between the means of the two datasets. Many features, including some climatologically relevant ocean circulation indices, are very similar between OMIP-1 and OMIP-2 simulations, and yet we could also identify key qualitative improvements in transitioning from OMIP-1 to OMIP-2. For example, the sea surface temperatures of the OMIP-2 simulations reproduce the observed global warming during the 1980s and 1990s, as well as the warming slowdown in the 2000s and the more recent accelerated warming, which were absent in OMIP-1, noting that the last feature is part of the design of OMIP-2 because OMIP-1 forcing stopped in 2009. A negative bias in the sea-ice concentration in summer of both hemispheres in OMIP-1 is significantly reduced in OMIP-2. The overall reproducibility of both seasonal and interannual variations in sea surface temperature and sea surface height (dynamic sea level) is improved in OMIP-2. These improvements represent a new capability of the OMIP-2 framework for evaluating process-level responses using simulation results. Regarding the sensitivity of individual models to the change in forcing, the models show well-ordered responses for the metrics that are directly forced, while they show less organized responses for those that require complex model adjustments. Many of the remaining common model biases may be attributed either to errors in representing important processes in ocean–sea-ice models, some of which are expected to be reduced by using finer horizontal and/or vertical resolutions, or to shared biases and limitations in the atmospheric forcing. In particular, further efforts are warranted to resolve remaining issues in OMIP-2 such as the warm bias in the upper layer, the mismatch between the observed and simulated variability of heat content and thermosteric sea level before 1990s, and the erroneous representation of deep and bottom water formations and circulations. We suggest that such problems can be resolved through collaboration between those developing models (including parameterizations) and forcing datasets. Overall, the present assessment justifies our recommendation that future model development and analysis studies use the OMIP-2 framework.

Beschreibung: This paper presents global comparisons of fundamental global climate variables from a suite of four pairs of matched low- and high-resolution ocean and sea ice simulations that are obtained following the OMIP-2 protocol (Griffies et al., 2016) and integrated for one cycle (1958–2018) of the JRA55-do atmospheric state and runoff dataset (Tsujino et al., 2018). Our goal is to assess the robustness of climate-relevant improvements in ocean simulations (mean and variability) associated with moving from coarse (∼ 1∘) to eddy-resolving (∼ 0.1∘) horizontal resolutions. The models are diverse in their numerics and parameterizations, but each low-resolution and high-resolution pair of models is matched so as to isolate, to the extent possible, the effects of horizontal resolution. A variety of observational datasets are used to assess the fidelity of simulated temperature and salinity, sea surface height, kinetic energy, heat and volume transports, and sea ice distribution. This paper provides a crucial benchmark for future studies comparing and improving different schemes in any of the models used in this study or similar ones. The biases in the low-resolution simulations are familiar, and their gross features – position, strength, and variability of western boundary currents, equatorial currents, and the Antarctic Circumpolar Current – are significantly improved in the high-resolution models. However, despite the fact that the high-resolution models “resolve” most of these features, the improvements in temperature and salinity are inconsistent among the different model families, and some regions show increased bias over their low-resolution counterparts. Greatly enhanced horizontal resolution does not deliver unambiguous bias improvement in all regions for all models.