A Canada-Wide Ocean Biogeochemical Model Encompassing the North Atlantic, North Pacific and Arctic Oceans

It is well-known that CDOM (Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter) can have a significant effect on biological activity in the photic zones of aquatic ecosystems. However, the extent of CDOM’s interference with biological activity is not well-known. We examined this issue in great detail in the mixed surface layer of the Arctic Ocean. We studied the impacts of CDOM’s light attenuation on Arctic phytoplankton populations to discover if riverine CDOM’s presence in the Arctic ocean could inhibit and possibly prevent local phytoplankton populations from performing photosynthesis. We incorporated biogeochemistry concepts and data with oceanographic models and calculations to approach the problem. The results showed that riverine CDOM can indeed significantly impact the productivity of phytoplankton populations during the spring and summer months near the major Arctic river mouths we chose to examine. Although our study was detailed and inclusive of many variables, the issue of CDOM’s light attenuation and its effects on phytoplankton populations must be explored on a global scale to help understand if riverine CDOM could prove disastrous for phytoplankton populations.

Modeling the timing of spring phytoplankton bloom and biological production of the Gulf of St. Lawrence (Canada): Effects of colored dissolved organic matter and temperature

Photoreactivity of chromophoric dissolved organic matter transported by the Mackenzie River to the Beaufort Sea

Abstract. Light availability is of primary importance to the ecological function of shallow estuaries. For example, benthic primary production by submerged aquatic vegetation is contingent upon light penetration to the seabed. A major component that attenuates light in estuaries is colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM). CDOM is often measured via a proxy, fluorescing dissolved organic matter (fDOM), due to the ease of in situ fDOM sensor measurements. Fluorescence must be converted to CDOM absorbance for use in light attenuation calculations. However, this CDOM–fDOM relationship varies among and within estuaries. We quantified the variability in this relationship within three estuaries along the mid-Atlantic margin of the eastern United States: West Falmouth Harbor (MA), Barnegat Bay (NJ), and Chincoteague Bay (MD/VA). Land use surrounding these estuaries ranges from urban to developed, with varying sources of nutrients and organic matter. Measurements of fDOM (excitation and emission wavelengths of 365 nm (±5 nm) and 460 nm (±40 nm), respectively) and CDOM absorbance were taken along a terrestrial-to-marine gradient in all three estuaries. The ratio of the absorption coefficient at 340 nm (m−1) to fDOM (QSU) was higher in West Falmouth Harbor (1.22) than in Barnegat Bay (0.22) and Chincoteague Bay (0.17). The CDOM : fDOM absorption ratio was variable between sites within West Falmouth Harbor and Barnegat Bay, but consistent between sites within Chincoteague Bay. Stable carbon isotope analysis for constraining the source of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in West Falmouth Harbor and Barnegat Bay yielded δ13C values ranging from −19.7 to −26.1 ‰ and −20.8 to −26.7 ‰, respectively. Concentration and stable carbon isotope mixing models of DOC (dissolved organic carbon) indicate a contribution of 13C-enriched DOC in the estuaries. The most likely source of 13C-enriched DOC for the systems we investigated is Spartina cordgrass. Comparison of DOC source to CDOM : fDOM absorption ratios at each site demonstrates the relationship between source and optical properties. Samples with 13C-enriched carbon isotope values, indicating a greater contribution from marsh organic material, had higher CDOM : fDOM absorption ratios than samples with greater contribution from terrestrial organic material. Applying a uniform CDOM : fDOM absorption ratio and spectral slope within a given estuary yields errors in modeled light attenuation ranging from 11 to 33 % depending on estuary. The application of a uniform absorption ratio across all estuaries doubles this error. This study demonstrates that light attenuation coefficients for CDOM based on continuous fDOM records are highly dependent on the source of DOM present in the estuary. Thus, light attenuation models for estuaries would be improved by quantification of CDOM absorption and DOM source identification.

Clarifying water clarity: A call to use metrics best suited to corresponding research and management goals in aquatic ecosystems

Chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) is highly enriched in bottom sea ice in the Arctic during ice algal blooms, giving rise to multifaceted ecological implications in both the sea ice and the underlying seawater. We conducted laboratory culture incubations to assess the potential role of ice algae in the accumulation of CDOM in Arctic sea ice. Non-axenic monocultures of Attheya septentrionalis and Nitzschia frigida and a natural ice algal assemblage (NIAA) were grown at 4 °C in an f/2 medium under cool white fluorescent light. Culture samples were collected several days apart throughout the exponential, stationary, and senescent phases, and analyzed for CDOM absorbance, chlorophyll a, and bacterial cell abundance. The cultures displayed apparent specific growth rates of algal and bacterial cells comparable to those in the field. Accumulations of CDOM were observed in all cultures during the time-course incubations, with the senescent phase showing the largest accumulations and the highest production rates. The senescent-phase production rate for NIAA was ~40% higher than that for A. septentrionalis. The chlorophyll a-normalized CDOM production rates in the cultures are comparable to those reported for Arctic first-year sea ice. The absorption spectra of CDOM in the cultures exhibited characteristic short-ultraviolet shoulders similar to those previously identified in sea ice. This study demonstrates that ice algal-derived CDOM can account for the springtime accumulation of CDOM in Arctic sea ice.

Compositional differences of chromophoric dissolved organic matter derived from phytoplankton and macrophytes

Colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) is one of the most important water quality constituents impacting light attenuation in estuaries; its concentration and distribution influence light quality and quantity available to phytoplankton and submerged aquatic vegetation. By combining field surveys (March 2009–January 2011) and laboratory studies, we examined the estuarine mixing behavior of CDOM and potential loss processes affecting mixing behavior in the Caloosahatchee River Estuary (CRE), Florida. The CDOM absorption coefficient at 355 nm (a CDOM(355), m−1) varied from 0.5 to 64 m−1, with higher values in the upper estuary and lower values downstream, and increased with increasing freshwater inflow. CDOM exhibited three apparent mixing patterns with respect to hypothetical conservative mixing, with (1) conservative behavior or (2) addition at lower inflow and (3) loss at higher inflow. Laboratory studies indicated that flocculation was not a major loss process and that CDOM was susceptible to photolysis. The concentration of CDOM declined as a function of cumulative solar irradiation with a rate of ∼0.003 m2 mol−1, suggesting a photobleaching half-life for CDOM of about 1 w. Apparent nonconservative mixing of CDOM increased or decreased light attenuation by 15–30 %, depending on freshwater inflow and location in the estuary. Light attenuation in the CRE was controlled primarily by CDOM in the upper estuary and by turbidity in the lower estuary, with the average contribution of CDOM to total light attenuation of 55 % (2–92 %) and turbidity of 23 % (3–79 %). The contribution of chlorophyll a (Chl a) to light attenuation was less than both CDOM and turbidity, accounting for about 12 % on average (2–24 %), regardless of location. These results suggest that any nutrient management scenario aimed at improving water clarity through reduction in Chl a concentration should consider the contributions of color and turbidity as well.

The supply and characteristics of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in the Arctic Ocean: Pan Arctic trends and differences

The study highlights the critical role of CDOM in coastal light attenuation and its impact on primary production (PP). We investigated the spectral attenuation of light due to water, phytoplankton pigments, detritus and coloured dissolved organic matter (CDOM) along a salinity gradient in the outer Oslofjord, Norway. By examining the effects of these components across different seasons, we aimed to elucidate their relative contributions to light absorption and PP. The findings suggest that increased terrestrial CDOM inputs, driven by climate, changed atmospheric deposition and land-use changes, could significantly affect coastal ecosystems by altering light attenuation and consequently PP and potentially leading to other ecological pressures. CDOM consistently dominated light absorption across all stations and seasons, contributing 50%–80% of the total absorption of photosynthetically active radiation. The absorption by CDOM and detritus decreased with increasing salinity, while phytoplankton absorption followed a seasonal succession. PP estimates show high seasonal variability from maximums in June to minimums in November, mainly attributed to, changes in seasonal light availability and phytoplankton biomass, followed by light attenuation by CDOM and differences in quantum yields of photosystem II (PSII). Nutrient analysis showed a seasonal pattern, with the highest nitrogen concentrations in November and depletion during more productive seasons, as well as conservative mixing throughout the salinity gradient. CDOM absorption played substantial, albeit not leading, role in influencing PP estimates, derived from a bio-optical model. CDOM was the main determinant of light attenuation across most wavelegnths.

The Fram Strait is a key region for investigating the exchange of Atlantic water with the Arctic Ocean. Uranium-236 (236U) from the two European nuclear reprocessing plants (NRPs) at La Hague and Sellafield provides a unique fingerprint in Atlantic water which can be used for studying its circulation patterns in the Arctic Ocean. And NRPs-derived 236U (236UNRPs) can be identified by its 233U/236U signature. In this study, we use colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) absorption to constrain the selection of three Atlantic branch waters that carried different inputs of 236UNRPs in Fram Strait. This can potentially provide better estimates of transit times of Atlantic waters in the Arctic Ocean. High CDOM levels (a350≥0.35 m−1) in Fram Strait reflect the passage of Atlantic water transported to the Arctic by the Norwegian Coastal Current (NCC) and its extension and subsequently along the Siberian continental slope and shelf where the Ob, Yenisei and Lena rivers supply terrestrial organic matter with significantly high CDOM content. Conversely, low CDOM water represents Atlantic water that has remained off the shelf. Based on CDOM absorption, potential temperature (Θ), potential density (σΘ) and 236U concentration, the path of a given body of Atlantic water could be inferred and an appropriate NRPs input function constrained so that transit times could be estimated. Our results indicate that Arctic High CDOM Water (a350≥0.35 m−1) sourced from the NCC and Barents Sea Branch Water (BSBW) in the Barents Sea Opening has an average of 7–27 yrs transit time in the upper ∼200 m of the western shelf of the Fram Strait. Atlantic Low CDOM Water (a350<0.35 m−1, Θ>2°C) sourced from the Fram Strait Branch Water (FSBW) has a short pathway from the eastern Fram Strait. Arctic Low CDOM / High 236U Water (a350<0.35 m−1, Θ≤2°C, σΘ≤27.97 or 236U concentration ≥15 × 106 atom/L) sourced from the BSBW and the FSBW has an average of 22–28 yrs transit time. These findings demonstrate how combining measurements of CDOM with 236UNRPs can improve the robustness in estimation of transit times of different Atlantic water pathways in the Arctic Ocean. There are limited ways to empirically derive estimates and the values provided offer unique data for comparison with estimates from regional circulation models.

Estimation of chromophoric dissolved organic matter and its controlling factors in Beaufort Sea using mixture density network and Sentinel-3 data

Absorption coefficients of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) were measured together with salinity, δ18O, and inorganic nutrients across the Fram Strait. A pronounced CDOM absorption maximum between 30 and 120 m depth was associated with river and sea ice brine enriched water, characteristic of the Arctic mixed layer and upper halocline waters in the East Greenland Current (EGC). The lowest CDOM concentrations were found in the Atlantic inflow. We show that the salinity‐CDOM relationship is not suitable for evaluating conservative mixing of CDOM. The strong correlation between meteoric water and CDOM is indicative of the riverine/terrigenous origin of CDOM in the EGC. Based on CDOM absorption in Polar Water and comparison with an Arctic river discharge weighted mean, we estimate that a 49–59% integrated loss of CDOM absorption across 250–600 nm has occurred. A preferential removal of absorption at longer wavelengths reflects the loss of high molecular weight material. In contrast, CDOM fluxes through the Fram Strait using September velocity fields from a high‐resolution ocean–sea ice model indicate that the net southward transport of terrigenous CDOM through the Fram Strait equals up to 50% of the total riverine CDOM input; this suggests that the Fram Strait export is a major sink of CDOM. These contrasting results indicate that we have to constrain the (C)DOM budgets for the Arctic Ocean much better and examine uncertainties related to using tracers to assess conservative mixing in polar waters.

A natural planktonic assemblage from the St. Lawrence Estuary was isolated in eight 1,500‐liter outdoor meso‐cosms and subjected to combinations of fast or slow mixing regimes with natural solar radiation or natural solar radiation artificially enhanced with ultraviolet‐B (UVB, 280–320 nm) radiation. The interdependent evolution of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), absorption by chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM), chlorophyll a (Chl a), particulate organic carbon (POC), and bacterial abundance in the mesocosms was followed over a 10‐d period. There was a net increase of Chl a, POC, and DOC in all systems over time; however, the slower mixing treatments had less accumulation than the systems with faster mixing. All systems displayed weak correlations of DOC with POC and Chl a. A significant effect of enhanced UVB radiation on concentrations of these bulk properties was not observed in any of the mesocosms. A strong correlation of CDOM absorbance loss (photobleaching) with absorbed radiation dose was observed in all treatments, with the fast mixing systems having larger absorbance losses and faster loss rates. Photobleaching was wavelength dependent, resulting in an increase in the spectral slope of CDOM absorption over time. Thus, although CDOM photobleaching may result in deeper penetration of light at all wavelengths, the ratios of UVB to ultraviolet‐A (UVA) and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) are reduced. The effect of enhanced UVB radiation was unexpected, with no proportional increases in CDOM photo‐bleaching in the #x002BUVB treatments. Comparisons of the different treatments indicate that interactions of biological activity, mixing, and the in situ light field can influence CDOM absorbance properties and/or photoreactivity and that there is a possible role for UVB in the production of CDOM.

A Global Ocean Carbon Algorithm Database (GOCAD) has been developed from over 500 oceanographic field campaigns conducted worldwide over the past 30 years including in situ reflectances and coincident satellite imagery, multi- and hyperspectral Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter (CDOM) absorption coefficients from 245–715 nm, CDOM spectral slopes in eight visible and ultraviolet wavebands, dissolved and particulate organic carbon (DOC and POC, respectively), and inherent optical, physical, and biogeochemical properties. From field optical and radiometric data and satellite measurements, several semi-analytical, empirical, and machine learning algorithms for retrieving global DOC, CDOM, and CDOM slope were developed, optimized for global retrieval, and validated. Global climatologies of satellite-retrieved CDOM absorption coefficient and spectral slope based on the most robust of these algorithms lag seasonal patterns of phytoplankton biomass belying Case 1 assumptions, and track terrestrial runoff on ocean basin scales. Variability in satellite retrievals of CDOM absorption and spectral slope anomalies are tightly coupled to changes in atmospheric and oceanographic conditions associated with El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), strongly covary with the multivariate ENSO index in a large region of the tropical Pacific, and provide insights into the potential evolution and feedbacks related to sea surface dissolved carbon in a warming climate. Further validation of the DOC algorithm developed here is warranted to better characterize its limitations, particularly in mid-ocean gyres and the southern oceans.