Response of oceanic subsurface chlorophyll maxima to environmental drivers in the Northern Indian Ocean

Abstract

Subsurface Chlorophyll Maxima (SCM) contributes a significant proportion to depth-integrated ocean primary production, making it important to understand its spatiotemporal variability in changing environmental conditions. Based on field observations and in situ data, we studied SCM characteristics in four distinct environmental settings across Northern Indian Ocean: SEAS-south eastern Arabian Sea (coastal upwelling zone), SAS-Southern Arabian Sea (Arabian Sea mini warm pool-ASMWP), SBOB-Southern Bay of Bengal (presence of mesoscale eddies) and ANS-Andaman Sea (region of active volcanoes). SCM displayed significant spatial variability: ZSCM (SCM depth) ranged between 25 and 88 m (mean = 59.5 m), Chlmax (SCM magnitude) ranged between 0.07 and 0.2 mg m−3 (mean = 0.12 mg m−3) while TSCM (SCM thickness) ranged between 33 and 100 m (mean = 69 m). Major factors affecting the ZSCM were light and nutrients, since ZSCM was closely related to Zeu (euphotic depth) and ZN (nitracline depth). Positive relation between Chlmax and micro phytoplankton suggests micro phytoplankton to be a major contributor in increasing Chlmax. TSCM was associated to ZT (thermocline depth) and nutrient concentration. Increase in stratification and oligotrophy, resulted in deeper, thicker peaks of lower magnitude, and such nature of peaks could increase in continued warming scenarios. Dinoflagellates increased in warmer oligotrophic environments. Nanophytoplankton were higher at deeper ZSCM, possibly due to their adaptability to low light. Upwelling caused shoaling of SCM with higher Chlmax in SEAS. SCM deepened in SAS and SBOB, dominated by picophytoplankton due to the influence of ASMWP (in SAS) and anticyclonic eddy (in SBOB). Ammonia and nutrient inputs from submarine vents in ANS, caused shoaling of ZN and ZSCM. Globally, multiple physical processes operate at short spatiotemporal scale, causing SCM variability, and the same should not be overlooked while estimating primary production or carbon export to deep ocean, through generalisations established at larger scale in the world ocean.