Climate variability shifts the vertical structure of phytoplankton in the Sargasso Sea
Johannes Viljoen,
Xuerong Sun,
Robert Brewin
Abstract:Marine phytoplankton are essential to ocean biogeochemical cycles. Yet, how climate variability is impacting phytoplankton vertical structure remains unclear. Here, we apply a conceptual model that partitions a profile of phytoplankton into two communities – one in the surface mixed layer and one in the subsurface below – to 33 years of data in the Sargasso Sea. Seasonally, the surface community alters their carbon-to-chlorophyll ratio without changing their carbon biomass, whereas the chlorophyll-a and carbon… Show more
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