Phytoplankton biomass dynamics and environmental variables around the Rocas Atoll Biological Reserve, South Atlantic

Jales, Marina Cavalcanti; Feitosa, Fernando Antônio do Nascimento; Koening, Maria Luise; Montes, Manuel de Jesús Flores; Filho, Moacyr Cunha de Araújo; Silva, Rodolfo Araújo da

doi:10.1590/s1679-87592015093906304

Cited by 15 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…A pattern of higher productivity and presence of relatively colder waters closer to the surface is more pronounced around SPSP than nearby tropical islands sampled for this study, i.e. FN (Souza et al ) and Rocas (Jales et al ). In addition, ichthyoplankton are more abundant around the SPSP than around FN, mainly because the former is a spawning area for Exocoetidae flyingfishes (Lessa et al ), the preferential food item of brown boobies (Mancini and Bugoni ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 60%

“…A pattern of higher productivity and presence of relatively colder waters closer to the surface is more pronounced around SPSP than nearby tropical islands sampled for this study, i.e. FN (Souza et al 2013) and Rocas (Jales et al 2015). In addition, ichthyoplankton are more abundant around the SPSP than tropical waters (Tiburcio et al 2011), the interaction of the Equatorial Undercurrent with the archipelago topography slows the movement of the current at a local level and generates vortices, which increase the mixing of the water column (i.e.…”

Section: Environment Shapes Phenotypesmentioning

confidence: 61%

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When Bergmann's rule fails: evidences of environmental selection pressures shaping phenotypic diversification in a widespread seabird

2016

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Organisms tend to exhibit phenotypes that can be shaped by climate, commonly demonstrating clinal variations along latitudinal gradients. In vertebrates, air temperature plays a major role in shaping body size in both ectothermic and endothermic animals. However, additional small‐scale environmental factors can also act as selection pressures in the marine ecosystem (e.g. primary productivity), evidencing multi‐scale processes acting on marine organisms. In this study, we tested Bergmann's rule in a widely distributed seabird, the brown booby Sula leucogaster, in addition to evaluating the relationship of sea surface temperature and chlorophyll α with phenotypes. We used traits from a morphometric dataset (culmen, wing chord, and tarsus length) and body mass of 276 brown boobies distributed on six breeding sites along a latitudinal gradient in the South Atlantic Ocean (0–27°S). We found significant differentiation among colonies, but phenotypic similarities were observed between colonies located at the extremes of the latitudinal gradient. As the colony nearest to the Equator, Saint Peter and Saint Paul archipelago, had the largest and heaviest individuals, the model containing only air temperature explained < 5% of the allometric variation, providing no substantial support for Bergmann's rule. However, when we added the interaction of chlorophyll α and sea surface temperature the deviance explained rose to over 80%. Primary productivity and sea surface temperature do not follow a latitudinal gradient in the ocean and, therefore, the role of small‐scale oceanographic processes in shaping body size and the importance of considering additional environmental variables when testing Bergmann's rule in marine organisms are evident.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 60%

“…A pattern of higher productivity and presence of relatively colder waters closer to the surface is more pronounced around SPSP than nearby tropical islands sampled for this study, i.e. FN (Souza et al 2013) and Rocas (Jales et al 2015). In addition, ichthyoplankton are more abundant around the SPSP than tropical waters (Tiburcio et al 2011), the interaction of the Equatorial Undercurrent with the archipelago topography slows the movement of the current at a local level and generates vortices, which increase the mixing of the water column (i.e.…”

Section: Environment Shapes Phenotypesmentioning

confidence: 61%

When Bergmann's rule fails: evidences of environmental selection pressures shaping phenotypic diversification in a widespread seabird

2016

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“…These displacement could be originated by orographic influences on the cSEC (wake effect) as shown by Tchamabi et al (2017). This orographic interaction reduces the thermocline depth, increasing nutrient supply and related biological production (Jales et al, 2015;Silva, 2018).…”

Section: Area 2 (A2)mentioning

confidence: 99%

3D characterisation of the thermohaline structure in the southwestern tropical Atlantic derived from functional data analysis of in situ profiles

Assunção

Silva²,

Roy

et al. 2020

Progress in Oceanography

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The dynamic of the thermohaline structure of the upper ocean, which depends on ocean-atmosphere interactions, drives most near surface oceanic processes, including the control of gases and heat fluxes, and nutrient availability in the photic layer. The thermohaline structure of the southwestern tropical Atlantic (SWTA), a key region for diagnosing variation of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, has prime impact on global climate. Characterising the thermohaline structure is typically based on the application of classical statistical methods on vertical profiles. Such approach has important limitations since classical methods do not explicitly contemplate the vertical nature of the profiles. Functional Data Analysis (FDA) is a new alternative to solve such drawbacks. Here, we apply an FDA approach to characterise the 3D canonical thermohaline structure of the SWTA in austral spring and fall. Our results reveal a clear spatial pattern with the presence of three areas with significantly different thermohaline structure. Area 1, mostly located along the continental slope, reflects the western boundary current system, with low static stability and high frequency of occurrence of barrier layer (BL). Conversely, Area 2, located along the Fernando de Noronha chain, presents strong static stability with a well-marked thermocline. This area, under the influence of the eastern Atlantic, is characterised by a low BL frequency, which is seasonally modulated by the latitudinal oscillation of the Intertropical Convergence Zone, controlling the regime of precipitation. In turn, Area 3 behaves as a transition zone between A1 and A2 with the presence of the water core of maximum salinity in subsurface, and therefore presence of strong-moderate BL. Beyond this study, FDA approach emerges as a powerful way to describe, characterise, classify and compare ocean patterns and Please note that this is an author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication following peer review. The definitive publisher-authenticated version is available on the publisher Web site.processes. It can be applied to in situ data but could also be used to deeply and comprehensively explore ocean model output. Highlights► The thermohaline structure drives most near surface oceanic processes. ► A functional data analysis approach is used to characterise in 3D the thermohaline structure of the southwestern tropical Atlantic in spring and fall. ► We reveal a clear spatial pattern with the presence of three areas with significantly different thermohaline structure. ► The picture provided can serve as a reference for diagnosing future variation in the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation.

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“…Some field studies on the productivity of this tropical coast reported the oligotrophic conditions of the region (Knoppers et al, 1999;Souza et al, 2013;Jales et al, 2015;Carvalho et al, 2017;Araujo et al, 2019). Nevertheless, the presence of reef formations in oligotrophic seas is a particularly important source of nonuniformity within the coastal biome (Van Duyl et al, 2002;Longhurst, 2007;Racault et al, 2015;Cotovicz et al, 2020).…”

Section: Ocean and Coastal Researchmentioning

confidence: 98%

Distribution of nutrients and chlorophyll across an equatorial reef region: Insights on coastal gradients

et al. 2023

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Phytoplankton biomass dynamics and environmental variables around the Rocas Atoll Biological Reserve, South Atlantic

Cited by 15 publications

References 21 publications

When Bergmann's rule fails: evidences of environmental selection pressures shaping phenotypic diversification in a widespread seabird

When Bergmann's rule fails: evidences of environmental selection pressures shaping phenotypic diversification in a widespread seabird

3D characterisation of the thermohaline structure in the southwestern tropical Atlantic derived from functional data analysis of in situ profiles

Distribution of nutrients and chlorophyll across an equatorial reef region: Insights on coastal gradients

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