Marine net primary production (NPP) is remarkably high given the typical vertical separation of 50–150 m between the depth zones of light and nutrient sufficiency, respectively. Here we present evidence that many autotrophs bridge this gap through downward and upward migration, thereby facilitating biological nutrient pumping and high rates of oceanic NPP. Our model suggests that phytoplankton vertical migration (PVM) fuels up to 40% (>28 tg yr−1 N) of new production and directly contributes 25% of total oceanic NPP (herein estimated at 56 PgC yr−1). Confidence in these estimates is supported by good reproduction of seasonal, vertical and geographic variations in NPP. In contrast to common predictions, a sensitivity study of the PVM model indicates higher NPP under global warming when enhanced stratification reduces physical nutrient transport into the surface ocean. Our findings suggest that PVM is a key mechanism driving marine biogeochemistry and therefore requires consideration in global carbon budgets.

南极磷虾(Euphausia superba)是维持南大洋生物多样性的关键物种,是南大洋的重点保护与限制捕捞对象。在气候变化对南大洋生态环境持续显著影响的背景下,亟需了解南极磷虾的时空分布、变化趋势及其栖息地适宜性。本文基于南极磷虾出现记录及长时序遥感与再分析数据,利用藻华物候与海冰消长的时序特征参数及相关环境参数,构建了宇航员海与迪尔维尔海南极磷虾栖息地适宜性的最大熵模型(Maxent)。研究发现,相较于常规单一时刻环境参数,时序特征参数更适合用于南极磷虾栖息地适宜性评估。基于Maxent模型,反演了两个典型海域超过20年的南极磷虾出现时间和频率变化序列,并通过分析多个环境参数的年际变化趋势进行机制解释。南极磷虾出现时的环境参数显示,宇航员海整体叶绿素质量浓度低于迪尔维尔海,无冰期更短,温度更低,南极磷虾出现时间更晚,且主要由沿岸区域的南极磷虾幼体与年轻个体构成。在1997—2019年,宇航员海沿岸区域磷虾出现时间逐渐提前,出现总天数逐年增多,主要是由于沿岸区域藻华起始时间提前,同时叶绿素质量浓度增加也为南极磷虾幼体提供了更充足的食物来源。迪尔维尔海受海水增温、无冰期缩短、叶绿素质量浓度降低等环境变化趋势的影响,该区域磷虾成熟个体或向更适宜环境迁移,南极磷虾每年出现总天数下降。在模型构建基础上,本研究首次获得了宇航员海与迪尔维尔海的南极磷虾长时序分布数据,可为了解气候变化对南大洋生物的影响、南大洋保护区规划与渔业管理提供科学依据。

Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) is a key species sustaining the biodiversity of the Southern Ocean and is a protected and restricted fishing target. In the context of significant impacts of climate change on the ecological environment of the Southern Ocean, it is urgent to understand the spatio-temporal distribution, change trends, and habitat suitability of Antarctic krill. In this study, based on Antarctic krill presence records and time series satellite and reanalysis data, a Maxent model for habitat suitability in the Cosmonauts Sea and the D’Urville Sea were constructed using timing parameters of phytoplankton phenology and sea-ice dynamics, along with related environmental parameters. It was found that timing parameters were more suitable for assessing habitat suitability for Antarctic krill compared to conventional environmental parameters. Using the Maxent model, the data over 20 years on the occurrence time and frequency of Antarctic krill in these two study areas were retrieved, and the mechanisms through the interannual trends of multiple environmental parameters were analyzed. Environmental parameters at the time of krill occurrence showed that the overall chlorophyll a mass concentration in the Cosmonauts Sea was lower than that in the D’Urville Sea, with a shorter ice-free period, lower temperatures, and later krill presence dates primarily composed of larval and young individuals along the coast. From 1997 to 2019, the presence time of krill in the coastal Cosmonauts Sea gradually advanced, and the number of presence days increased, mainly due to earlier onset of algal blooms, while increased chlorophyll a mass concentration provided more abundant overwintering food for krill larvae. In the D’Urville Sea, influenced by warming water, shortened ice-free period, and reduced chlorophyll a mass concentration, mature krill may migrate to a more suitable environment, leading to a decline in annual presence frequency. Based on the constructed habitat suitability model, this study showed the long-term distribution of Antarctic krill occurrence in the Cosmonauts Sea and the D’Urville Sea for the first time, which can help to understand the impact of climate change on the ecological environment in the Southern Ocean, and the planning of conservation areas and fishery management in the Southern Ocean.

The CO uptake by the Southern Ocean (<35°S) varies substantially on all timescales and is a major determinant of the variations of the global ocean carbon sink. Particularly strong are the decadal changes characterized by a weakening period of the Southern Ocean carbon sink in the 1990s and a rebound after 2000. The weakening in the 1990s resulted primarily from a southward shift of the westerlies that enhanced the upwelling and outgassing of respired (i.e., natural) CO. The concurrent reduction in the storage rate of anthropogenic CO in the mode and intermediate waters south of 35°S suggests that this shift also decreased the uptake of anthropogenic CO. The rebound and the subsequent strong, decade-long reinvigoration of the carbon sink appear to have been driven by cooling in the Pacific Ocean, enhanced stratification in the Atlantic and Indian Ocean sectors, and a reduced overturning. Current-generation ocean models generally do not reproduce these variations and are poorly skilled at making decadal predictions in this region.

Climate change is expected to elicit widespread alterations to nutrient and light supply, which interact to influence phytoplankton growth and their seasonal cycles. Using 25 years of satellite chlorophyll a data, we show that large regions of the Southern Ocean express significant multi-decadal trends in phenological indices that are typically larger (&lt;50 days decade–1) than previously reported in modelling studies (&lt;10 days decade–1). Although regionally dependent, there is an overall tendency for phytoplankton blooms to increase in amplitude, decline in seasonality, initiate later, terminate earlier and have shorter durations, except in the ice, which initiate earlier and have longer durations. Investigating relationships with prominent climate drivers highlights regional sensitivities and complexities of multiple interacting aspects of a changing climate. Seasonal adjustments of this magnitude at the base of the food web can de-synchronize energy transfer to higher trophic levels, threatening ecosystem services and impacting global climate by altering natural CO2 uptake.

Southern Ocean primary productivity is principally controlled by adjustments in light and iron limitation, but the spatial and temporal determinants of iron availability, accessibility, and demand are poorly constrained, which hinders accurate long-term projections. We present a multidecadal record of phytoplankton photophysiology between 1996 and 2022 from historical in situ datasets collected by Biogeochemical Argo (BGC-Argo) floats and ship-based platforms. We find a significant multidecadal trend in irradiance-normalized nonphotochemical quenching due to increasing iron stress, with concomitant declines in regional net primary production. The observed trend of increasing iron stress results from changing Southern Ocean mixed-layer physics as well as complex biological and chemical feedback that is indicative of important ongoing changes to the Southern Ocean carbon cycle.

Over the last ten years, satellite and geographically constrained in situ observations largely focused on the northern hemisphere have suggested that annual phytoplankton biomass cycles cannot be fully understood from environmental properties controlling phytoplankton division rates (e.g., nutrients and light), as they omit the role of ecological and environmental loss processes (e.g., grazing, viruses, sinking). Here, we use multi-year observations from a very large array of robotic drifting floats in the Southern Ocean to determine key factors governing phytoplankton biomass dynamics over the annual cycle. Our analysis reveals seasonal phytoplankton accumulation ('blooming') events occurring during periods of declining modeled division rates, an observation that highlights the importance of loss processes in dictating the evolution of the seasonal cycle in biomass. In the open Southern Ocean, the spring bloom magnitude is found to be greatest in areas with high dissolved iron concentrations, consistent with iron being a well-established primary limiting nutrient in this region. Under ice observations show that biomass starts increasing in early winter, well before sea ice begins to retreat. The average theoretical sensitivity of the Southern Ocean to potential changes in seasonal nutrient and light availability suggests that a 10% change in phytoplankton division rate may be associated with a 50% reduction in mean bloom magnitude and annual primary productivity, assuming simple changes in the seasonal magnitude of phytoplankton division rates. Overall, our results highlight the importance of quantifying and accounting for both division and loss processes when modeling future changes in phytoplankton biomass cycles.

In this article, we analyze the impacts of climate change on Antarctic marine ecosystems. Observations demonstrate large-scale changes in the physical variables and circulation of the Southern Ocean driven by warming, stratospheric ozone depletion, and a positive Southern Annular Mode. Alterations in the physical environment are driving change through all levels of Antarctic marine food webs, which differ regionally. The distributions of key species, such as Antarctic krill, are also changing. Differential responses among predators reflect differences in species ecology. The impacts of climate change on Antarctic biodiversity will likely vary for different communities and depend on species range. Coastal communities and those of sub-Antarctic islands, especially range-restricted endemic communities, will likely suffer the greatest negative consequences of climate change. Simultaneously, ecosystem services in the Southern Ocean will likely increase. Such decoupling of ecosystem services and endemic species will require consideration in the management of human activities such as fishing in Antarctic marine ecosystems.

The manuscript assesses the current and expected future global drivers of Southern Ocean (SO) ecosystems. Atmospheric ozone depletion over the Antarctic since the 1970s, has been a key driver, resulting in springtime cooling of the stratosphere and intensification of the polar vortex, increasing the frequency of positive phases of the Southern Annular Mode (SAM). This increases warm air-flow over the East Pacific sector (Western Antarctic Peninsula) and cold air flow over the West Pacific sector. SAM as well as El Niño Southern Oscillation events also affect the Amundsen Sea Low leading to either positive or negative sea ice anomalies in the west and east Pacific sectors, respectively. The strengthening of westerly winds is also linked to shoaling of deep warmer water onto the continental shelves, particularly in the East Pacific and Atlantic sectors. Air and ocean warming has led to changes in the cryosphere, with glacial and ice sheet melting in both sectors, opening up new ice free areas to biological productivity, but increasing seafloor disturbance by icebergs. The increased melting is correlated with a salinity decrease particularly in the surface 100 m. Such processes could increase the availability of iron, which is currently limiting primary production over much of the SO. Increasing CO2is one of the most important SO anthropogenic drivers and is likely to affect marine ecosystems in the coming decades. While levels of many pollutants are lower than elsewhere, persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and plastics have been detected in the SO, with concentrations likely enhanced by migratory species. With increased marine traffic and weakening of ocean barriers the risk of the establishment of non-indigenous species is increased. The continued recovery of the ozone hole creates uncertainty over the reversal in sea ice trends, especially in the light of the abrupt transition from record high to record low Antarctic sea ice extent since spring 2016. The current rate of change in physical and anthropogenic drivers is certain to impact the Marine Ecosystem Assessment of the Southern Ocean (MEASO) region in the near future and will have a wide range of impacts across the marine ecosystem.

南乔治亚岛海域是南大洋初级生产力最高的区域之一,具有巨大的固碳潜力,但由于缺乏连续的上层海洋观测资料,该海域生物泵效率的强弱仍未有定论。本研究利用2017年至2020年期间位于南乔治亚岛附近海域的生物地球化学浮标(BGC-Argo)所获取的水文和生物化学参数,探讨了物理过程对生物地球化学过程的影响,并估算了该海域的南极夏季碳输出通量。结果显示:南乔治亚岛上游(南极半岛东北部)和下游(乔治亚海盆)海域Chl-a均呈现出很强的季节性特征,尤其是乔治亚海盆区浮游植物维持了4个月的旺发时间,表明该区域具有稳定持续的铁源供给;利用颗粒有机碳(POC)季节性输出量的时间变率,估算了上、下游的夏季POC输出通量分别为7.12±3.90 mmol·m^-2·d^-1和45.29±5.40 mmol·m^-2·d^-1,推测这种差异主要是由于混合层加深后促进了有机碳的向下输出导致的。研究发现该区域维持着较高的生物泵效率,与此前的乔治亚海盆存在“高生产力低输出效率”的结论不同,这可能是由于航次断面调查的即时性无法反映整个季节性特征所造成的。BGC-Argo能提供高时空分辨率的多参数观测数据,本研究结果表明其可以更准确地量化与评估海洋生物地球化学过程和固碳能力。

The waters surrounding South Georgia Island are one of the highest primary productivity regions in the Southern Ocean with enormous carbon sequestration potential. However, the strength of the biological pump efficiency in this area is still uncertain due to the lack of continuous upper ocean observation data.In this study, the hydrological and biogeochemical parameters obtained from the Biogeochemical Argo (BGC-Argo) floats deployed in the South Georgia Island vicinity during the period of 2017-2020 were utilized to investigate the impacts of physical processes on biogeochemical processes and to estimate the carbon export flux in the Antarctic summer. Results indicated that both upstream (northeast of the Antarctic Peninsula) and downstream (Georgia Basin) regions of South Georgia Island exhibited strong seasonal characteristics in Chl- a, with the latter area having a 4-month sustained period of phytoplankton bloom, suggesting a stable and continuous supply of iron. Using the temporal variability of the seasonal particulate organic carbon (POC) export, the summer POC export fluxes of the upstream and downstream regions were estimated to be 7.12±3.90 mmol·m^-2·d^-1 and 45.29±5.40 mmol·m^-2·d^-1, respectively, indicating that the difference might be due to enhanced downward export of organic carbon after the deepening of the mixed layer. The study found that the region maintained a high biological pump efficiency, contrary to the previous conclusion that the Georgia Basin had “high productivity low export efficiency”, which might have been caused by the limited “real-time” representation of the entire seasonal characteristics during ship-based surveys. BGC-Argo provides high spatiotemporal resolution of multi-parameter observation data, and this study demonstrates that it can more accurately quantify and evaluate marine biogeochemical processes and carbon sequestration potential.

利用再分析资料以及混合层海温诊断方程, 研究1997—1998与2015—2016年超级厄尔尼诺次年北大西洋海表温度异常(sea surface temperature anomalies, SSTA)的差异及成因。结果显示, 北大西洋SSTA在1998年春季呈明显正负正三极型式分布, 而在2016年呈弱的负正负型态。诊断热带北大西洋SSTA的影响因素表明, 1998年春季暖SSTA除了之前研究强调的海洋表面向大气的潜热输送异常减少, 以及吸收太阳辐射的增加外, 海洋动力过程即Ekman纬向漂流也起着重要的作用。热力过程与厄尔尼诺峰值后出现的北大西洋涛动(North Atlantic Oscillation, NAO)负位相有关, 其可引起亚速尔高压减弱, 产生西南风异常, 通过风-蒸发-海表温度(sea surface temperature, SST)反馈机制使热带北大西洋蒸发减弱, 海表增暖, 沃克环流下沉支的东移对这一增暖也有贡献。与1997—1998厄尔尼诺事件不同, 2015—2016厄尔尼诺事件没有强迫出负位相NAO, 而是出现弱NAO正位相, 热带北大西洋为弱的东风异常, 使海表发生一定的冷却, 形成2016春季北大西洋SSTA与1998年的明显差异。

In this paper, we use reanalysis data and mixed layer temperature (MLT) budget analysis to study the differences of the North Atlantic sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs) between two Super El Ni?o (1997-1998 and 2015-2016) events and the causes for the differences. The results show that in the spring of 1998 the North Atlantic SSTA had clear positive, negative and positive distribution, while in spring 2016 it presented weakly negative, positive and negative distribution. The diagnostic results of factors influencing the SSTA in the tropical North Atlantic indicate that in the spring of 1998, in addition to the reduction of latent heat transferring from ocean surface to atmosphere and the increase in solar radiation absorption, the marine dynamic process, i.e., zonal Ekman drift, also played an important role. The thermal process was related to the negative phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) that occurred after the peak of El Ni?o, which caused the Azores high pressure to weaken and generated southwesterly wind anomaly. The evaporation of the tropical North Atlantic was attenuated by the wind-evaporation-SST feedback mechanism. The eastward shift of the Walker circulation sinking branch also contributed to this warming. Different from the 1997-1998 El Ni?o event, the 2015-2016 El Ni?o event caused a weakly positive NAO phase instead of a negative one. The weak easterly anomaly in the tropical North Atlantic caused SST cooling; this may be the main reason for the significant difference between the North Atlantic SSTAs in the springs of 1998 and 2016.

Teleconnections from tropical Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies to the high-latitude Southern Hemisphere (SH) are examined using observations and reanalysis. Analysis of tropical Pacific SST anomalies is conducted separately for the central Pacific (CP) and eastern Pacific (EP) regions. During the austral cold season, extratropical SH atmospheric Rossby wave train patterns are observed in association with both EP and CP SST variability. The primary difference between the patterns is the westward displacement of the CP-related atmospheric anomalies, consistent with the westward elongation of CP-related convective SST required for upper-level divergence and Rossby wave generation. Consequently, CP-related patterns of SH SST, Antarctic sea ice, and temperature anomalies also exhibit a westward displacement, but otherwise, the cold season extratropical SH teleconnections are largely similar. During the warm season, however, extratropical SH teleconnections associated with tropical CP and EP SST anomalies differ substantially. EP SST variability is linked to largely zonally symmetric structures in the extratropical atmospheric circulation, which projects onto the southern annular mode (SAM), and is strongly related to the SH temperature and sea ice fields. In contrast, CP SST variability is only weakly related to the SH atmospheric circulation, temperature, or sea ice fields and no longer exhibits any clear association with the SAM. One hypothesized mechanism suggests that the relatively weak CP-related SST anomalies are not able to substantially impact the background flow of the subtropical jet and its subsequent interaction with equatorward-propagating waves associated with variability in the SAM. However, there is currently no widely established mechanism that links tropical Pacific SST anomalies to the SAM.