Coastal Upwelling Regions Research Articles

Diverse Responses of Upper Ocean Temperatures to Chlorophyll‐Induced Solar Absorption Across Different Coastal Upwelling Regions

AbstractChlorophyll in phytoplankton absorbs solar radiation (SR) and affects the thermal structure and dynamics within upwelling regions. However, research on this process across global‐scale coastal upwelling systems is still lacking. Here, we use a coupled ocean‐biogeochemical model to investigate differing responses to chlorophyll‐induced solar absorption between Pacific and Atlantic coastal upwelling regions. Chlorophyll‐induced solar absorption leads to colder Pacific coastal upwelling but warmer Atlantic coastal upwelling. In the Pacific, the shading effect of the surface chlorophyll maximum leads to colder subsurface water, which is then upwelled, contributing to cooling. The more stratified upper ocean leads to shallower mixed layer depth, intensifying offshore transport and upwelling. In the Atlantic, the absorption of SR by the subsurface chlorophyll maximum causes warmer and weaker upwelling. The processes described, in turn, trigger positive feedback to ocean biogeochemistry and potentially interact with climate dynamics, underscoring the necessity to incorporate them into Earth system models.

Variability in the phytoplankton response to upwelling across an iron limitation mosaic within the California current system

AbstractCoastal upwelling currents such as the California Current System (CCS) comprise some of the most productive biological systems on the planet. Diatoms dominate these upwelling events in part due to their rapid response to nutrient entrainment. In this region, they may also be limited by the micronutrient iron (Fe), an important trace element primarily involved in photosynthesis and nitrogen assimilation. The mechanisms behind how diatoms physiologically acclimate to the different stages of the upwelling conveyor belt cycle remain largely uncharacterized. Here, we explore their physiological and metatranscriptomic response to the upwelling cycle with respect to the Fe limitation mosaic that exists in the CCS. Subsurface, natural plankton assemblages that would potentially seed surface blooms were examined over wide and narrow shelf regions. The initial biomass and physiological state of the phytoplankton community had a large impact on the overall response to simulated upwelling. Following on‐deck incubations under varying Fe physiological states, our results suggest that diatoms quickly dominated the blooms by “frontloading” nitrogen assimilation genes prior to upwelling. However, diatoms subjected to induced Fe limitation exhibited reductions in carbon and nitrogen uptake and decreasing biomass accumulation. Simultaneously, they exhibited a distinct gene expression response which included increased expression of Fe‐starvation induced proteins and decreased expression of nitrogen assimilation and photosynthesis genes. These findings may have significant implications for upwelling events in future oceans, where changes in ocean conditions are projected to amplify the gradient of Fe limitation in coastal upwelling regions.

Diel Vertical Migrators Respond to Short‐Term Upwelling Events

AbstractPelagic organisms inhabiting coastal upwelling regions face a high risk of advection away from the nearshore productive habitat, potentially leading to mortality. We explored how animals remain in a productive yet highly advective environment in the Northern California Current System using the cabled observatory system located off the Oregon coast. Acoustic scatterers consistent with swimbladder‐bearing fish were only present during the downwelling season as these animals avoided the cold waters associated with strong upwelling conditions in summer and fall. Fish responded to short‐term upwelling events by increasing the frequency of diel vertical migration. Throughout the study, their vertical positions corresponded to the depth of minimum cross‐shelf transport, providing a mechanism for retention. The observed behavioral response highlights the importance of studying ecological processes at short timescales and the abilities of pelagic organisms to control their horizontal distributions through fine‐tuned diel vertical migration in response to upwelling.

Surface circulation in Todos Santos Bay, Baja California, México

Depending on dimensions, orientation and topographic features, the circulation of semi-enclosed seas adjacent to regions of coastal upwelling are strongly influenced by their interaction with a shelf upwelling jet of adjacent waters. A special case are square bays, where opening is about the same size as length, and are bordered by headlands at the entrance. This study analyzed surface currents measured between 2009 and 2020 with high-frequency (HF) radar in Todos Santos Bay, a square bay located in northwestern México, to obtain mean and seasonal surface circulation patterns. HF radar measurements indicate that the average circulation pattern within the bay is cyclonic, with water of the California Current (CC) entering primarily as a coastal jet through the northern mouth of the bay. The similarity of monthly average maps with the long-term average suggests the cyclonic circulation persists year-round. Scale analysis demonstrates that given the size of the bay, only one eddy, primarily controlled by inertia, is dominantly formed inside. The mean cyclonic circulation defines the bay as an upwelling shadow.

Short-term acidification promotes diverse iron acquisition and conservation mechanisms in upwelling-associated phytoplankton

Coastal upwelling regions are among the most productive marine ecosystems but may be threatened by amplified ocean acidification. Increased acidification is hypothesized to reduce iron bioavailability for phytoplankton thereby expanding iron limitation and impacting primary production. Here we show from community to molecular levels that phytoplankton in an upwelling region respond to short-term acidification exposure with iron uptake pathways and strategies that reduce cellular iron demand. A combined physiological and multi-omics approach was applied to trace metal clean incubations that introduced 1200 ppm CO2 for up to four days. Although variable, molecular-level responses indicate a prioritization of iron uptake pathways that are less hindered by acidification and reductions in iron utilization. Growth, nutrient uptake, and community compositions remained largely unaffected suggesting that these mechanisms may confer short-term resistance to acidification; however, we speculate that cellular iron demand is only temporarily satisfied, and longer-term acidification exposure without increased iron inputs may result in increased iron stress.

Multiple mechanisms for chlorophyll a concentration variations in coastal upwelling regions: a case study east of Hainan Island in the South China Sea

Abstract. Using satellite observations from 2003 to 2020 and cruise observations from 2019 and 2021, this study reveals an unexpected minor role of upwelling in seasonal and interannual variations in chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentrations in the coastal upwelling region east of Hainan Island (UEH) in the northwestern South China Sea (NWSCS). The results show strong seasonal and interannual variability in the Chl a concentration in the core upwelling area of the UEH. Different from the strongest upwelling in summer, the Chl a concentration in the UEH area reaches a maximum of 1.18 mg m−3 in autumn and winter, with a minimum value of 0.74 mg m−3 in summer. The Chl a concentration in summer increases to as high as 1.0 mg m−3 with weak upwelling, whereas the maximum Chl a concentration in October increases to 2.5 mg m−3. The analysis of environmental factors shows that, compared to the limited effects of upwelling, the along-shelf coastal current from the northern shelf and the increased precipitation are crucially important to the Chl a concentration variation in the study area. These results provide new insights for predicting marine productivity in upwelling areas, i.e., multiple mechanisms, especially horizontal advection, should be considered in addition to the upwelling process.

Enhancement of Summer Nitrogen Fixation by the Kuroshio Intrusion in the East China Sea and Southern Yellow Sea

AbstractThe western boundary currents are characterized by abundant diazotrophs including Trichodesmium, which may fuel N2 fixation when they intrude into marginal seas. The Kuroshio, a western boundary current in the North Pacific, flows into the East China Sea (ECS) and southern Yellow Sea (SYS), which transports abundant Trichodesmium and diatom‐diazotroph associations (DDAs). Additionally, low nitrogen:phosphorus (N:P) ratio and relatively abundant dissolved iron have been observed in the offshore ECS because of the Kuroshio intrusion as well as riverine/atmospheric inputs of P and iron. We hypothesized that the intrusion of Kuroshio greatly enhanced N2 fixation in the ECS and SYS. N2 fixation rates (NFRs) were measured using a 15N2 bubble method during summer 2013. The surface and depth‐integrated NFRs in the ECS and SYS were 1.45 nmol N L−1 d−1 and 81.7 μmol N m−2 d−1 on average, respectively, with the highest values of 13.84 nmol N L−1 d−1 and 511.8 μmol N m−2 d−1. We found that NFRs were significantly higher in the ECS oceanic (Kuroshio water) and mesohaline regions (Kuroshio‐affected water) than in the SYS and the ECS low‐salinity and coastal upwelling regions. NFR was significantly positively correlated with the densities of Trichodesmium and DDAs, salinity, and temperature but was negatively with NO3− and N:P ratio. Generalized additive models confirmed that spatial variation in NFR was overwhelmingly contributed by Trichodesmium density. These findings suggested that the Kuroshio intrusion significantly enhanced N2 fixation in the ECS through promoting growth of filamentous diazotrophs and providing appropriate nutrient environment.

The intensified trend of coastal upwelling in the South China Sea during 1982-2020

Using sea surface temperature (SST) data from satellite observations and reanalysis, we revealed the long-term trend of coastal upwelling in the South China Sea (SCS) during 1982–2020. An upwelling index (topographic position index, TPI), defined as the SST difference between the center cell and its neighbors, was used to quantify the upwelling intensity. There are three typical regions (eastern Guangdong, eastern Hainan, and eastern Vietnam) of coastal upwelling in the SCS, in which the upwelling intensity showed an increasing trend during 1982–2020. For all three regions, the upwelling intensity trend reached ~0.2 °C per 10 years in the past 40 years or so. A satellite wind dataset, CCMP, and reanalysis products, ERA5 and ORAS5, were used to discuss the causes of intensified upwelling. Based on the CCMP, the enhanced upwelling in eastern Guangdong and eastern Hainan may be more related to the strengthening of the wind stress curl. Both alongshore wind stress and wind stress curl contribute to the enhanced upwelling in southern Vietnam, and the increasing trend of upwelling in northern Vietnam is not significantly related to the wind field. This study could contribute to the understanding of coastal upwelling response to the long-term climate change in a marginal sea under the background of global warming.

Identification of Sea Surface Temperature and Sea Surface Salinity Fronts along the California Coast: Application Using Saildrone and Satellite Derived Products

Coastal upwelling regions are one of the most dynamic areas of the world’s oceans. The California and Baja California Coasts are impacted by both coastal upwelling and the California Current, leading to frontal activity that is captured by gradients in both Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and Sea Surface Salinity (SSS). Satellite data are a great source of spatial data to study fronts. However, biases near coastal areas and coarse resolutions can impair its usefulness in upwelling areas. In this work gradients in SST from NASA Multi-Scale Ultra-High Resolution (MUR) and in two SSS products derived from the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) NASA mission are compared directly with gradients derived from the Saildrone uncrewed vehicles to validate the gradients as well as to assess their ability to detect known frontal features. The three remotely sensed data sets (MURSST/JPL, SMAP SSS/RSS, SMAP SSS) were co-located with the Saildrone data prior to the calculation of the gradients. Wavelet analysis is used to determine how well the satellite derived SST and SSS products are reproducing the Saildrone derived gradients. Overall results indicate the remote sensing products are reproducing features of known areas of coastal upwelling. Differences between the SST and SSS gradients are mainly associated with the limitations of the microwave derived SSS coverage near land and its reduced spatial resolution. The results are promising for using remote sensing data sets to monitor frontal structure along the California Coast and the application to long term changes in coastal upwelling and dynamics.

Influence of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation on SST Fronts Along the West Coasts of North and South America.

Along the west coasts of North, Central, and South America, sea surface temperature (SST) fronts are important for circulation dynamics and promoting biological activity. Prevailing equatorward winds during summer results in offshore Ekman transport and upwelling along the coast, where fronts often form between cold, upwelled water and warmer offshore waters. The interannual variability in winds, coastal upwelling, sea level anomalies, and SST in these regions have been linked to the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), however SST fronts have received less attention. Here, we investigate the interannual variability of SST fronts off North, Central, and South America using satellite SST data spanning 1982-2018. Anomalies of fronts within 0-300km offshore indicate interannual variability that coincides with ENSO events in most regions. Frontal activity generally decreases during El Niño events and increases during La Niña events. The decrease in fronts off Peru and Chile during El Niño coincides with the seasonal peak in frontal activity, while off the United States the decrease occurs when frontal activity is at a seasonal minimum. We also utilized satellite measurements of wind stress and sea level anomaly to investigate how ENSO oceanic and atmospheric forcing mechanisms affect frontal activity. Decreases in frontal activity during El Niño events are largely due to oceanic forcing (i.e., coastal Kelvin waves) off Central and South America and to both oceanic forcing and atmospheric teleconnections off the United States. This study furthers our understanding of the influence of ENSO on coastal upwelling regions in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

Quantifying biological carbon pump pathways with a data-constrained mechanistic model ensemble approach

Abstract. The ability to constrain the mechanisms that transport organic carbon into the deep ocean is complicated by the multiple physical, chemical, and ecological processes that intersect to create, transform, and transport particles in the ocean. In this paper we develop and parameterize a data-assimilative model of the multiple pathways of the biological carbon pump (NEMUROBCP). The mechanistic model is designed to represent sinking particle flux, active transport by vertically migrating zooplankton, and passive transport by subduction and vertical mixing, while also explicitly representing multiple biological and chemical properties measured directly in the field (including nutrients, phytoplankton and zooplankton taxa, carbon dioxide and oxygen, nitrogen isotopes, and 234Thorium). Using 30 different data types (including standing stock and rate measurements related to nutrients, phytoplankton, zooplankton, and non-living organic matter) from Lagrangian experiments conducted on 11 cruises from four ocean regions, we conduct an objective statistical parameterization of the model and generate 1 million different potential parameter sets that are used for ensemble model simulations. The model simulates in situ parameters that were assimilated (net primary production and gravitational particle flux) and parameters that were withheld (234Thorium and nitrogen isotopes) with reasonable accuracy. Model results show that gravitational flux of sinking particles and vertical mixing of organic matter from the euphotic zone are more important biological pump pathways than active transport by vertically migrating zooplankton. However, these processes are regionally variable, with sinking particles most important in oligotrophic areas of the Gulf of Mexico and California Current, sinking particles and vertical mixing roughly equivalent in productive coastal upwelling regions and the subtropical front in the Southern Ocean, and active transport an important contributor in the eastern tropical Pacific. We further find that mortality at depth is an important component of active transport when mesozooplankton biomass is high, but it is negligible in regions with low mesozooplankton biomass. Our results also highlight the high degree of uncertainty, particularly amongst mesozooplankton functional groups, that is derived from uncertainty in model parameters. Indeed, variability in BCP pathways between simulations for a specific location using different parameter sets (all with approximately equal misfit relative to observations) is comparable to variability in BCP pathways between regions. We discuss the implications of these results for other data-assimilation approaches and for studies that rely on non-ensemble model outputs.

Ommastrephid squid paralarvae potential nursery habitat in the tropical-subtropical convergence off Mexico

The Gulf of California and adjacent Pacific have passed through a prolonged warming period that affects the Humboldt squid D. gigas life cycle, which was the third largest fishery in Mexico until its total collapse after 2010. The aims of the present study were (i) to characterize the nursery habitat of paralarvae of the complex Sthenoteuthis oualaniensis–Dosidicus gigas (SD complex) on the basis of 1112 paralarvae collected from zooplankton trawls carried out during ten oceanographic cruises off northwestern Mexico between 2010 and 2017; and (ii) to model the seasonal and interannual variability of the nursery habitat, applying a generalized additive model (GAM) using a regional long-term (1922–2017) hydrographic database. The GAM showed significant relationships of paralarvae abundance with the seasonal average of thermocline depth, absolute salinity, and conservative temperature. The potential nursery habitat of the SD complex paralarvae showed its maximum expected abundance in the entrance of the Gulf of California during spring, when the thermocline depth was shallowest (<30 m). During summer the nursery habitat moved northward along the Pacific west coast of the peninsula. Autumn and winter were less suitable seasons for paralarvae nursery because the thermocline was deep throughout the area of study. Potential nursery habitat did not change interannually in location during La Niña conditions, but did increase the expected abundance in its southern extension. El Niño events contracted the nursery habitat near Cabo San Lucas, and caused the habitat to move northwards over both coasts of the Baja California peninsula. Despite seasonal and interannual climatic variability, two regions remained suitable habitats almost throughout the year. One was associated with coastal upwelling regions (Cabo Corrientes) and the second comprised the oceanic region of high mesoscale kinetic energy located south of Cabo San Lucas. We conclude that the potential nursery habitat of the SD complex is more coastal than oceanic, and is associated with a shallow thermocline in the tropical-subtropical convergence off Mexico. The recent anomalous warming period in this region could drive the changes in the morphology of D. gigas in the Gulf of California, given the effects of environmental variability over early stages of development throughout the adult ontogenesis.

Photosynthetic Production Determines Bottom Water Oxygen Variations in the Upwelling Coastal South China Sea Over Recent Decades

Dissolved oxygen (DO) in seawater is fundamental to marine ecosystem health. How DO in coastal upwelling areas responds to upwelling intensity under climate change is of particular interest and vital importance, because these productive regions account for a large fraction of global fishery production and marine biodiversity. The Yuedong upwelling (YDU) in the coastal northern South China Sea can be served as a study case to explore long-term responses of DO to upwelling and climate due to minor influence of riverine input. Here, bottom water DO conditions were recovered by sedimentary C28Δ22/Δ5,22 ratios of steroids in three short cores, with lower ratio value indicating higher DO concentration. The ratio records showed oscillations in varying degrees and exhibited no clear trends before ∼1980s, after which, however, there occurred a persistent decreasing trend or basically remained at lower values. Thus, inferred DO variations by the C28Δ22/Δ5,22 ratio records are not compatible with regional YDU-involved physical processes under climate change, such as southwesterly wind-induced onshore advection of reduced-oxygenated source waters from outer shelf and oceanic warming that would rather lead to less oxygenation in bottom waters in recent decades. Intriguingly, the alcohol records of n-C20:1/C28Δ5,22 and br-C15/C28Δ5,22 ratios, indicative of the relative strengths between biogeochemical oxygen consumption (i.e., by zooplankton and microbes) and photosynthetic oxygen production (i.e., by phytoplankton), changed almost in parallel with the C28Δ22/Δ5,22 records in three cores. Accordingly, we propose that net photosynthetic oxygen production outweighs source water– and warming-induced increasing deoxygenation in the study area. This study may suggest an important biogeochemical mechanism in determining bottom water DO dynamics in shallow coastal upwelling regions with minor contribution of riverine input.

How the Source Depth of Coastal Upwelling Relates to Stratification and Wind

AbstractWind‐driven coastal upwelling is an important process that transports nutrients from the deep ocean to the surface, fueling biological productivity. To better understand what affects the upward transport of nutrients (and many other properties such as temperature, salinity, oxygen, and carbon), it is necessary to know the depth of source waters (i.e., “source depth”) or the density of source waters (“source density”). Here, we focus on the upwelling driven by offshore Ekman transport and present a scaling relation for the source depth and density by considering a balance between the wind‐driven upwelling and eddy‐driven restratification processes. The scaling suggests that the source depth varies as (τ/N)1/2, while the source density goes as (τ1/2N3/2), where τ is the wind stress and N is the stratification. We test these relations using numerical simulations of an idealized coastal upwelling front with varying constant wind forcing and initial stratification, and we find good agreement between the theory and numerical experiments. This work highlights the importance of considering stratification in wind‐driven upwelling dynamics, especially when thinking about how nutrient transport and primary production of coastal upwelling regions might change with increased ocean warming and stratification.

Weather whiplash: Trends in rapid temperature changes in a warming climate

AbstractBoth research and media attention has shown an increasing interest in rapidly changing weather, colloquially termed “weather whiplash” events. This research examines the spatial and seasonal variability of trends in seasonally standardized short‐term temperature ranges across the globe. Trends are calculated for three different “range windows”: 7‐day ranges, 1‐day departure, and diurnal (24‐hr) temperature ranges. Results show that globally, over the 70‐year period of record 7‐ and 1‐day ranges are increasing substantially in all seasons, while diurnal trends are only changing (decreasing) significantly in boreal autumn. Since 1985, however, ranges at all three time windows have increased significantly. The most widespread changes are occurring as significant increases in these ranges in the Southern Ocean, Africa, and South America and in regions of coastal upwelling. Significant decreases in these ranges are noted mostly at the Arctic Ocean confluence with the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, especially in the Greenland, Iceland, and Norwegian Seas, and more recently, in northeastern Canada. Oceanic trends appear driven by changes in wind speeds, especially in the Southern Hemisphere where increasing open‐ocean winds are nearly ubiquitous. Trends in temperature variability over land are largely inverse of the long‐term changes in cloud cover. This research adds to a growing body of climate change literature examining temperature variability trends, and it represents the first examination of full 70‐year trends of many variables contained in the recently released ERA5 reanalysis.

Sea-to-Air Fluxes of Isoprene and Monoterpenes in the Coastal Upwelling Region of Peninsular Malaysia

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) affect oxidant loadings and secondary organic aerosol formation in the lower atmosphere. The marine environment is thought to be an important global source of biogenic VOCs (BVOCs). Despite that, there is relatively limited knowledge on coastal upwelling BVOCs. This paper presents sea-to-air fluxes and spatial and temporal distributions of the BVOCs, isoprene and monoterpenes, in the coastal upwelling region off the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia (ECPM). The overall fluxes ranged between 107 and 108 molecules/cm2/s, which is comparable with open ocean values. Isoprene dominated the overall fluxes with an average percentage of 65% compared to monoterpenes (total) (35%). Among the monoterpene compounds, β-pinene showed the highest average flux, followed by α-pinene and limonene. The spatial distribution suggests that isoprene fluxes potentially correspond to the sea surface water nutrients compared to monoterpenes. A significant relationship between isoprene and monoterpene (total) fluxes was observed (R = 0.73, P < 0.01), which may indicate that both isoprene and monoterpenes are controlled by an identical biological factor (e.g., chlorophyll-a). This study concludes that the upwelling region off the ECPM is potentially an important source of atmospheric isoprene and monoterpenes.

A perfect storm: An anomalous offshore phytoplankton bloom event in the NE Atlantic (March 2009)

While primary productivity is more stable in oceanic regions, it may vary to a great extent with the proximity to coasts, where mesoscale processes may intertwine and shape phytoplankton community composition and biomass. Sometimes, this may lead to the development of anomalous phytoplankton blooms (i.e., episodic blooms that exceed several times the average phytoplankton biomass). A massive bloom observed off the Western Iberian Coast (SW Europe) during March 2009 prompted a full investigation on its spatial and temporal extent, its causes, and its potential impact on the ecosystem. Results revealed that the March 2009 bloom was both novel in terms of biomass in a regional context and one of the largest anomalous blooms until now described in terms of relative magnitude. Its causes were due to a concurrence of long-term (deep winter MLD) and short-term factors (coastal upwelling, sudden changes in the water column, consistent offshore water transport). Its impact on the regional ecosystem is difficult to gauge, although the high concentrations of particulate organic carbon at surface during the bloom period suggests that it may have had a significant local impact. Since climate change is expected to increase the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, it is possible that anomalous blooms will also become more frequent, expanding their role in shaping carbon export and food webs. These results are crucial for the monitoring of the Western Iberian Coast and are applicable to other complex coastal upwelling regions where phytoplankton biomass and variability have a crucial link to fisheries.

Environmental Regulation of the Nitrogen Supply, Mean Trophic Position, and Trophic Enrichment of Mesozooplankton in the Mekong River Plume and Southern South China Sea

AbstractThe mean trophic position (TP) of mesozooplankton largely determines how much mass and energy is available for higher trophic levels like fish. Unfortunately, the ratio of herbivores to carnivores in mesozooplankton is difficult to identify in field samples. Here, we investigated changes in the mean TP of mesozooplankton in a highly dynamic environment encompassing four distinct habitats in the southern South China Sea: the Mekong River plume, coastal upwelling region, shelf waters, and offshore oceanic waters. We used a set of variables derived from bulk and amino acid nitrogen stable isotopes from particulate organic matter and four mesozooplankton size fractions to identify changes in the nitrogen source and TP of mesozooplankton across these habitats. We found clear indications of a shift in N sources for biological production from nitrate in near‐coastal waters with shallow mixed layer depths toward an increase in diazotroph‐N inputs in oceanic waters with deep mixed layer depths where diazotrophs shaped the phytoplankton community. The N source shift was accompanied by a lengthening of the food chain (increase in the TP). This may provide further support for the connection between diazotrophy and the indirect routing of N through the marine food web. Our combined bulk and amino acid δ15N approach also allowed us to estimate the trophic enrichment (TE) of mesozooplankton across the entire regional ecosystem. When put in the context of literature values, a high TE of 5.1‰ suggested a link between ecosystem heterogeneity and the less efficient transfer of mass and energy across trophic levels.

Representative Diatom and Coccolithophore Species Exhibit Divergent Responses throughout Simulated Upwelling Cycles.

ABSTRACTWind-driven upwelling followed by relaxation results in cycles of cold nutrient-rich water fueling intense phytoplankton blooms followed by nutrient depletion, bloom decline, and sinking of cells. Surviving cells at depth can then be vertically transported back to the surface with upwelled waters to seed another bloom. As a result of these cycles, phytoplankton communities in upwelling regions are transported through a wide range of light and nutrient conditions. Diatoms appear to be well suited for these cycles, but their responses to them remain understudied. To investigate the bases for diatoms’ ecological success in upwelling environments, we employed laboratory simulations of a complete upwelling cycle with a common diatom, Chaetoceros decipiens, and coccolithophore, Emiliania huxleyi. We show that while both organisms exhibited physiological and transcriptomic plasticity, the diatom displayed a distinct response enabling it to rapidly shift-up growth rates and nitrate assimilation when returned to light and available nutrients following dark nutrient-deplete conditions. As observed in natural diatom communities, C. decipiens highly expresses before upwelling, or frontloads, key transcriptional and nitrate assimilation genes, coordinating its rapid response to upwelling conditions. Low-iron simulations showed that C. decipiens is capable of maintaining this response when iron is limiting to growth, whereas E. huxleyi is not. Differential expression between iron treatments further revealed specific genes used by each organism under low iron availability. Overall, these results highlight the responses of two dominant phytoplankton groups to upwelling cycles, providing insight into the mechanisms fueling diatom blooms during upwelling events.IMPORTANCE Coastal upwelling regions are among the most biologically productive ecosystems. During upwelling events, nutrient-rich water is delivered from depth resulting in intense phytoplankton blooms typically dominated by diatoms. Along with nutrients, phytoplankton may also be transported from depth to seed these blooms then return to depth as upwelling subsides creating a cycle with varied conditions. To investigate diatoms’ success in upwelling regions, we compare the responses of a common diatom and coccolithophore throughout simulated upwelling cycles under iron-replete and iron-limiting conditions. The diatom exhibited a distinct rapid response to upwelling irrespective of iron status, whereas the coccolithophore’s response was either delayed or suppressed depending on iron availability. Concurrently, the diatom highly expresses, or frontloads, nitrate assimilation genes prior to upwelling, potentially enabling this rapid response. These results provide insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying diatom blooms and ecological success in upwelling regions.

Correction to: Wind events in a subtropical coastal upwelling region as detected by admittance analysis

Correction to: Wind events in a subtropical coastal upwelling region as detected by admittance analysis