150790 - Southern Ocean phytoplankton stimulated by wildfire emissions.pdf (1.67 MB)
Southern Ocean phytoplankton stimulated by wildfire emissions and sustained by iron recycling
journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-21, 09:02 authored by Jakob WeisJakob Weis, Christina SchallenbergChristina Schallenberg, Zanna ChaseZanna Chase, Andrew BowieAndrew Bowie, Bozena Wojtasiewicz, Perron, MMG, Marc MalletMarc Mallet, Peter StruttonPeter StruttonLarge ash plumes emitted by the 2019–2020 Australian wildfires were associated with a widespread phytoplankton bloom in the iron-limited Pacific sector of the Southern Ocean. In this study, we used satellite observations and aerosol reanalysis products to study the regional phytoplankton community response to wildfire emissions. The bloom was stimulated by pyrogenic iron fertilization and coincided with elevated cellular pigment concentrations, increased photochemical efficiency, and apparent community structural shifts. Physiological anomalies were consistent with previously observed phytoplankton responses to iron stress relief and persisted for up to 9 months. Supported by a regional iron budget, we conclude that the bloom was sustained by iron recycling and episodic inputs of pyrogenic and dust-borne mineral iron. The continuous regeneration of iron was likely facilitated by the bloom's large size, mitigating edge dilution effects, as well as enhanced bioavailability of pyrogenic and mineral iron due to atmospheric and chemical processing during long-range transport.
Funding
Australian Research Council
History
Publication title
Geophysical Research LettersVolume
49Issue
11Article number
e2021GL097538Number
e2021GL097538Pagination
1-11ISSN
0094-8276Department/School
Institute for Marine and Antarctic StudiesPublisher
Amer Geophysical UnionPlace of publication
2000 Florida Ave Nw, Washington, USA, Dc, 20009Rights statement
© 2022. The Authors. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.Repository Status
- Open