Subarctic North Atlantic Research Articles

Seasonal Variability of Near-Inertial/Semidiurnal Fluctuations and Turbulence in the Subarctic North Atlantic

Abstract Six profiling floats measured water-mass properties (T, S), horizontal velocities (u, υ), and microstructure thermal-variance dissipation rates χT in the upper ∼1 km of the Iceland and Irminger Basins in the eastern subpolar North Atlantic from June 2019 to April 2021. The floats drifted into slope boundary currents to travel counterclockwise around the basins. Pairs of velocity profiles half an inertial period apart were collected every 7–14 days. These half-inertial-period pairs are separated into subinertial eddy (sum) and inertial/semidiurnal (difference) motions. Eddy flow speeds are ∼O(0.1) m s−1 in the upper 400 m, diminishing to ∼O(0.01) m s−1 by ∼800-m depth. In late summer through early spring, near-inertial motions are energized in the surface layer and permanent pycnocline to at least 800-m depth almost simultaneously (within the 14-day temporal resolution), suggesting rapid transformation of large-horizontal-scale surface-layer inertial oscillations into near-inertial internal waves with high vertical group velocities through interactions with eddy vorticity gradients (effective β). During the same period, internal-wave vertical shear variance was 2–5 times canonical midlatitude magnitudes and dominantly clockwise-with-depth (downward energy propagation). In late spring and early summer, shear levels are comparable to canonical midlatitude values and dominantly counterclockwise-with-depth (upward energy propagation), particularly over major topographic ridges. Turbulent diapycnal diffusivities K ∼ O(10−4) m2 s−1 are an order of magnitude larger than canonical midlatitude values. Depth-averaged (10–1000 m) diffusivities exhibit factor-of-3 month-by-month variability with minima in early August.

Tectono-magmatic evolution of the Greenland−Iceland−Norway ridge complex and the Jan Mayen hotspot in the Arctic Atlantic Ocean: Constraints from in situ trace elements and Sr isotopes of minerals

The subarctic North Atlantic Ocean has experienced a complex and gradual magmatic evolution, including continental breakup, mature seafloor spreading, and episodic ridge jumps. Here, we present new in situ major-element, trace-element, and Sr isotopic compositions for minerals (olivine, clinopyroxene, and plagioclase) from the Jan Mayen microcontinent (Integrated Ocean Drilling Program [IODP] Sites 907 and 985), Reykjanes Ridge (Site 983), Greenland Basin (Site 913), and Knipovich Ridge (Site 911) volcanic samples in the Arctic Atlantic Ocean. The Jan Mayen hotspot−type and Iceland plume−type volcanic rocks have a common magma source. The former were likely derived from the latter by further fractional crystallization, resulting in their distinct geochemical features. The in situ incompatible element and isotopic compositions show that the normal mid-ocean-ridge basalt spreading ridge feature for the older (>14 Ma) system and the enriched plume feature for the younger (1.521 Ma and 1.049 Ma) system likely indicate plume-ridge interaction and the evolution from mid-ocean-ridge−type to plume-type magmatism beneath the Norwegian−Greenland Sea. The disequilibrium of Sr isotopes in plagioclase among the groundmass, phenocryst cores, and rims is likely due to heterogeneous compositions beneath the North Atlantic Ocean basin, with the contamination of thick continental crust and the influence of H2O-enriched melts originating from the deep Iceland plume.

Modulation of North Atlantic Polar Low Activity and Associated Flow Patterns by Sudden Stratospheric Warmings

Abstract Polar lows (PLs) are intense maritime mesoscale cyclones that can pose hazards to coastal communities and marine operation in the Arctic. This study examines the impacts of sudden stratospheric warmings (SSWs) on PL activity in the subarctic North Atlantic. The 20 days following SSWs are characterized by tropospheric circulation anomalies resembling the negative phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation. PL activity decreases significantly over the Labrador Sea, which can be attributed to the infrequent occurrence of low static stability and strong environmental baroclinicity, as well as reduced surface turbulent heat fluxes. These results suggest that a skillful prediction of SSWs can improve the extended-range forecast of PL activity over the Labrador Sea. For the Nordic seas, the results imply that the spatial structure of an SSW event is important for the PL modulation through different tropospheric circulation patterns. Situations with increased PL frequency in the Nordic seas are characterized by SSWs centered close to northern Greenland occurring over a smaller area, and a tropospheric response featuring enhanced cold-air outbreaks over the Norwegian Sea. Conversely, PL activity is suppressed over the Nordic seas when the SSW favors the formation of a tropospheric anticyclone above Greenland and Scandinavia. Significance Statement This study investigates the relationships between polar lows (PLs) and sudden stratospheric warmings (SSWs) over the subarctic North Atlantic. A better understanding of the effect of SSWs on PL development has the potential to improve extended-range forecasts of PLs. It is shown that SSWs are responsible for the significantly suppressed regional PL activity over the Labrador Sea, suggesting that SSWs can serve as a predictor for the extended-range forecast of PLs over this region. Following SSW events, the thermodynamic state of atmosphere becomes more stable over the Labrador Sea and hinders the convective development of PLs. For the northern Nordic seas, the impacts of SSWs on PL activity are sensitive to the spatial structure of stratospheric warming.

Growth Resilience of Subarctic Rhodoliths (Lithothamnion glaciale, Rhodophyta) to Chronic Low Sea Temperature and irradiance.

Rhodolith beds are pervasive marine biological systems in the subarctic North Atlantic. Limited knowledge about effects of temperature and irradiance on rhodolith growth limits the ability to anticipate the response of rhodolith beds to this ocean's chronic low, yet changing sea temperature and irradiance regimes. We carried out a 149-d laboratory experiment with Newfoundland Lithothamnion glaciale rhodoliths to test the predictions that growth (i) is inhibited at temperatures of ~0.5°C and (ii) resumes as temperature increases above 0.5°C, albeit at a higher rate under high than low irradiances. Rhodoliths were grown in experimental tanks at near-zero (~0.7°C) seawater temperatures during the first 85 d and at temperatures increasing naturally to ~6°C for the remaining 64 d. Rhodoliths in those tanks were exposed to either low (0.02 mol photons·m-2 ·d-1 ) or high (0.78 mol photons·m-2 ·d-1 ) irradiances during the entire experiment. Rhodoliths grew at a linear rate of ~281 μm·year-1 (0.77 μm·d-1 ) throughout the experiment under both irradiance treatments despite daily seawater temperature variation of up to 3°C. Near-zero temperatures of ~0.5 to 1.0°C did not inhibit rhodolith growth. Model selection showed that PAR-day (a cumulative irradiance index) was a better predictor of growth variation than Degree-day (a cumulative thermal index). Our findings extend to ~0.5°C the lower limit of the known temperature range (~1 to at least 16°C) over which growth in L. glaciale rhodoliths remains unaffected, while suggesting that the growth-irradiance relationship in low-light environments at temperatures below 6°C is less irradiance-driven than recently proposed.

The role of Arctic gateways on sea ice and circulation in the Arctic and North Atlantic Oceans: a sensitivity study with an ocean-sea-ice model

The impact of changes in volume, heat and freshwater fluxes through Arctic gateways on sea ice, circulation and fresh water and heat contents of the Arctic and North Atlantic Oceans is not fully understood. To explore the role played by each gateway, we use a regional sea-ice ocean general circulation model with a fixed atmospheric forcing. We run sensitivity simulations with combinations of Bering Strait (BS) and Canadian Arctic Archipelago (CAA) open and closed inspired by paleogeography of the Arctic. We show that fluxes through BS influence the Arctic, Atlantic and Nordic Seas while the impact of the CAA is more dominant in the Nordic Seas. In the experiments with BS closed, there is a change in the surface circulation of the Arctic with a weakening of the Beaufort Gyre by about thirty percent. As a consequence, the Siberian river discharge is spread offshore to the west, rather than being directly advected away by the Transpolar Drift. This results in a decrease of salinity in the upper 50 m across much of the central Arctic and East Siberian and Chukchi Seas. We also find an increase in stratification between the surface and subsurface layers after closure of BS. Moreover, closure of the BS results in an upward shift of the relatively warm waters lying between 50 and 120 m, as well as a reorganization of heat storage and transport. Consequently, more heat is kept in the upper layers of the Arctic Ocean, thus increasing the heat content in the upper 50 m and leading to a thinner sea ice cover. The CAA closing has a large impact on sea ice, temperature and salinity in the subarctic North Atlantic with opposite responses in the Greenland-Iceland-Norwegian Seas and Baffin Bay. It is also found that CAA being open or closed strongly controls the sea ice export through the Fram Strait. In all our experiments, the changes in temperature and salinity of the Barents and Kara Seas, and in fluxes through Barents Sea Opening are relatively small, suggesting that they are likely controlled by the atmospheric processes. Our results demonstrate the need to take into consideration the fluxes through the Arctic gateways when addressing the ocean and climate changes during deglaciations as well as for predictions of future climate.

Estimating Carbon Flux From Optically Recording Total Particle Volume at Depths Below the Primary Pycnocline

Optical instruments can rapidly determine numbers and characteristics of water column particles with high sensitivity. Here we show the usefulness of optically assessed total particle volume below the main pycnocline to estimate carbon export in two systems: the open subarctic North Atlantic and the Ross Sea, Antarctica. Both regions exhibit seasonally high phytoplankton production and efficient export (i.e., a strong biological pump). Total particle volumes in the mesopelagic (200-300 m) were significantly correlated with those in the overlying surface mixed layer (50 - 60 m), indicating that most particles at depth reflect export from the surface. This connectivity, however, is modulated by the physical structure of the water column and by particle type (e.g., the presence of colonies of the haptophyte Phaeocystis antarctica versus diatoms). Evidence from both regions show that a strong pycnocline can delay or may even prevent particles from settling to deeper layers, which then succumb to disintegration, or microbial and/or zooplankton consumption. Strong katabatic winds in the Ross Sea may deepen the mixed layer, causing a rapid transfer of particles to mesopelagic depths through the mixed-layer pump. Independent estimates of seasonally integrated export production in the Ross Sea, based on upper water column carbon mass balance, were significantly correlated (in the order of shared variance) with 1) total particle volumes from images, 2) particulate organic carbon, and 3) chlorophyll fluorescence, all recorded at a depth range of 200 – 300 m. Carbon export was not significantly correlated with particle abundance measured by a Coulter Counter at the same depth range. Measuring total particle volume below the primary pycnocline is therefore a useful approach to estimate carbon export at least in regions characterized by seasonally high particle export.

Subtropical countercurrent variations in cooling climates induced by freshwater forcing over the subarctic North Atlantic

The subtropical countercurrent (STCC) could affect ocean eddy activity and the atmosphere above. How the STCC varied in a cooling scenario, such as the stadials during the last deglaciation (19–11 ka; ka = 1000 years ago), is still unclear. By 1-Sv (1 Sv = 106 m3 s− 1) freshwater hosing over the subpolar North Atlantic to suppress the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), the STCC variations under pre-industrial (PI) and last glacial maximum (LGM, ~ 21 ka) conditions are analyzed. In both hosing experiments, the northern hemisphere cools. The upper ocean becomes less stratified, and the wintertime mixed layer deepens in the Kuroshio–Oyashio extension (KOE) region. As a result, more mode waters (~ 20%) are formed, and they become more vertically uniform. The enhanced mode waters induce a stronger vertical shear and accelerate the STCC based on thermal wind relationship. The strengthened STCC further induces warm ocean temperature and upward air-sea heat flux anomalies along it. While the STCC strengthens in both hosing experiments, the location variations are different. In the PI hosing experiment, the Bering Strait is open. Fresh water enters the North Pacific through the Bering Strait and increases the stratification in the downstream of the KOE region. The mixed layer front shifts westward and induces a robust westward shift of mode waters and the STCC. In the LGM hosing experiment, on the contrast, there is no obvious location shift because the Bering Strait is closed.

Fe(II) oxidation kinetics in the North Atlantic along the 59.5° N during 2016

The Fe(II) oxidation rate was studied in different water masses present in the subarctic North Atlantic ocean along the 59.5° N transatlantic section. Temperature, pH, salinity and total organic carbon (TOC) in natural conditions, fixed temperature conditions and both fixed temperature and pH conditions, were considered in order to understand the combined effects of the variables that control the Fe(II) oxidation kinetics in the ocean. The study shows that in natural conditions, temperature was the master variable which controlled 75% of the pseudo-first order kinetics rate (k′). This value rose to 90% when pHF (free scale) and salinity were also considered. At a fixed temperature, 72% of k′ was controlled by pH and at both fixed temperature and pH, salinity controled 62% of the Fe(II) oxidation rate. Sources and characteristics of TOC are important factors influencing the oxidation of Fe(II). The organic matter had both positive and negative effects on Fe(II) oxidation. In surface and coastal waters, TOC accelerated k′, decreasing the Fe(II) half-life time (t1/2). In Subpolar Mode Water, Labrador Sea Water (for the Irminger Basin) and Denmark Straight Overflow Water, TOC slowed down k′, increasing Fe(II) t1/2. This shifting behaviour where TOC affects Fe(II) oxidation depending on its marine or terrestrial origin, depth and remineralization stage proves that TOC cannot be used as a variable in an equation describing k′. The temperature dependence study indicated that the energy requirement for Fe(II) oxidation in surface waters was 32% lower than the required for bottom waters at both pH 7.7 and 8.0. This variability confirmed the importance of the organic matter composition of the selected samples. The Fe(II) oxidation rate constants in the region can be obtained from an empirical equation considering the natural conditions of temperature, pHF and salinity for the area, producing an error of estimation of 0.0072 min−1. This equation should be incorporated in global Fe models.

Nitrogen uptake and nitrification in the subarctic North Atlantic Ocean

AbstractNitrification, the oxidation of ammonium to nitrite and then nitrate, is often discounted as a source of nitrate in euphotic zone waters due to photoinhibition of nitrifying microorganisms and/or competition for ammonium with phytoplankton. However, there have also been counterarguments that nitrification represents a significant “regenerated” nitrate source to phytoplankton, augmenting the “new” nitrate supplied via physical processes. If nitrification is an appreciable nitrate source in the euphotic zone, then the assumption of a balance between nitrate uptake and organic matter export will overestimate export production. We investigated the relative importance of nitrification and nitrate uptake in the subarctic North Atlantic in late spring and late summer. The rates and vertical distributions of primary production, nitrogen uptake, and ammonium and nitrite oxidation were determined through isotope tracer experiments and the distributions of the nitrogen and oxygen isotopes of nitrate. In surface waters, ammonium and nitrite oxidation rates were low, representing an average of 5.2% and 2.5% of total euphotic zone nitrate uptake, respectively. The nitrogen and oxygen isotopes of nitrate confirmed that nitrification was not significant within the euphotic zone. Comparison of the rates of nitrogen uptake and primary production showed that while springtime phytoplankton growth could be fully supported by new nitrate and recycled ammonium, up to 50% of summertime productivity was likely fueled by dissolved organic nitrogen (DON). Uptake of DON implies that the fraction of primary production exported from surface waters in the late summer was significantly lower than the measured nitrate and ammonium uptake rates suggest.

Overturning in the Subpolar North Atlantic Program: A New International Ocean Observing System

Abstract For decades oceanographers have understood the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) to be primarily driven by changes in the production of deep-water formation in the subpolar and subarctic North Atlantic. Indeed, current Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projections of an AMOC slowdown in the twenty-first century based on climate models are attributed to the inhibition of deep convection in the North Atlantic. However, observational evidence for this linkage has been elusive: there has been no clear demonstration of AMOC variability in response to changes in deep-water formation. The motivation for understanding this linkage is compelling, since the overturning circulation has been shown to sequester heat and anthropogenic carbon in the deep ocean. Furthermore, AMOC variability is expected to impact this sequestration as well as have consequences for regional and global climates through its effect on the poleward transport of warm water. Motivated by the need for a mechanistic understanding of the AMOC, an international community has assembled an observing system, Overturning in the Subpolar North Atlantic Program (OSNAP), to provide a continuous record of the transbasin fluxes of heat, mass, and freshwater, and to link that record to convective activity and water mass transformation at high latitudes. OSNAP, in conjunction with the Rapid Climate Change–Meridional Overturning Circulation and Heatflux Array (RAPID–MOCHA) at 26°N and other observational elements, will provide a comprehensive measure of the three-dimensional AMOC and an understanding of what drives its variability. The OSNAP observing system was fully deployed in the summer of 2014, and the first OSNAP data products are expected in the fall of 2017.

Variation of summer phytoplankton community composition and its relationship to nitrate and regenerated nitrogen assimilation across the North Atlantic Ocean

The North Atlantic Ocean is considered a nitrogen (N) limited system once vernal stabilisation of the water column alleviates light limitation and allows phytoplankton growth to deplete surface nutrients to virtually undetectable levels. Ammonium and other regenerated N forms are then the main surface N source for phytoplankton production. The effort to determine which phytoplankton groups contribute to long-term biological export production would be greatly aided by information on which phytoplankton groups are responsible for the assimilation of nitrate, as opposed to those assimilating predominantly regenerated N. In this study, we used the natural abundance N isotopes to examine basin-scale patterns of nitrate and regenerated N assimilation and evaluated the relationships between these trends and phytoplankton community composition. Samples were collected during a summertime cruise transect (August–September 2013) from the subtropical (36°N 73°W) to the subarctic (54°N 20°W) North Atlantic and analysed for the N isotopic composition (δ15N vs. N2 in air) of particulate nitrogen (PN) and nitrate, size-fractionated chlorophyll a, and phytoplankton group biomass using flow cytometry. The depth of the 300nmoll−1 nitrate isopleth shoaled from the subtropics (79m), where phytoplankton stripped surface waters of nitrate, to the subarctic, where it intersected with the surface and the upward nutrient supply drove a summer phytoplankton bloom. The δ15N of PN above the nitracline increased from the subtropics (−0.3‰) to the subarctic (4.2‰), reflecting both a change in the δ15N of the subsurface nitrate source (from 2.4‰ to 5.1‰) and increased reliance by phytoplankton on nitrate relative to regenerated N. Throughout the transect, the phytoplankton community was mainly composed of pico- and nano-sized cells (>88% of chlorophyll a in the <20µm size fraction). In the part of the transect southwest of the Grand Banks, Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus together dominated the picophytoplankton biomass (58% and 18% on average) and comprised 35% and 9%, respectively, of combined pico- and nanophytoplankton biomass. Pico- and nanoeukaryotes showed the opposite pattern, becoming more important closer to the subarctic (up to 31% and 86% of combined pico- and nanophytoplankton biomass, respectively). The North Atlantic summertime patterns in N assimilation implied by the N isotopes were consistent with a higher degree of nitrate assimilation by larger eukaryotic cells and greater reliance on regenerated N by cyanobacterial picophytoplankton, congruent with the observed biomass distributions.

Lagenorhynchus albirostris(Cetacea: Delphinidae)

Lagenorhynchus albirostris ( Gray, 1846a ) is a delphinid commonly called the white-beaked dolphin. A robustly built dolphin with black, white, and gray coloration, it has a whitish beak, a prominent dorsal fin, and a white saddle behind the fin. Endemic to the temperate and subarctic North Atlantic, it is associated with continental shelf habitats. The conservation status of L. albirostris is poorly known. L . albirostris is currently listed as “Least Concern” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources and it is listed on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna.

Before the ‘Big Chill’: Patterns of plant-insect associations from the Neogene of Iceland

Iceland is the only known terrestrial place in the subarctic North Atlantic providing a fairly continuous sedimentary and plant fossil record over the past 15millionyears. While the basic palaeobotanical framework of this pattern has been well established during the last decade, less attention has been paid to the abundant insect traces on fossil leaves/leaflets. Here, we assess the diversity and frequency of insect herbivory on 4349 fossil angiosperm leaves/leaflets from six plant-bearing sedimentary formations exposed at 18 localities. By combining analyses of environmental factors, species interactions, ecology, biogeography, and the geological history, our results demonstrate how patterns of herbivory have changed over time in relation to temperature fluctuations that profoundly influenced levels of insect-mediated damage diversity and frequency. In addition, higher structural complexity, particularly the establishment of species-rich herb layer communities seems to have positively influenced the structure of insect communities in early late Miocene palaeoforests of Iceland.

Atmospheric mercury speciation dynamics at the high-altitude Pic du Midi Observatory, southern France

Abstract. Continuous measurements of atmospheric gaseous elemental mercury (GEM), particulate bound mercury (PBM) and gaseous oxidized mercury (GOM) at the high-altitude Pic du Midi Observatory (PDM Observatory, 2877 m a.s.l.) in southern France were made from November 2011 to November 2012. The mean GEM, PBM and GOM concentrations were 1.86 ng m−3, 14 pg m−3 and 27 pg m−3, respectively and we observed 44 high PBM (peak PBM values of 33–98 pg m−3) and 61 high GOM (peak GOM values of 91–295 pg m−3) events. The high PBM events occurred mainly in cold seasons (winter and spring) whereas high GOM events were mainly observed in the warm seasons (summer and autumn). In cold seasons the maximum air mass residence times (ARTs) associated with high PBM events were observed in the upper troposphere over North America. The ratios of high PBM ARTs to total ARTs over North America, Europe, the Arctic region and Atlantic Ocean were all elevated in the cold season compared to the warm season, indicating that the middle and upper free troposphere of the Northern Hemisphere may be more enriched in PBM in cold seasons. PBM concentrations and PBM ∕ GOM ratios during the high PBM events were significantly anti-correlated with atmospheric aerosol concentrations, air temperature and solar radiation, suggesting in situ formation of PBM in the middle and upper troposphere. We identified two distinct types of high GOM events with the GOM concentrations positively and negatively correlated with atmospheric ozone concentrations, respectively. High GOM events positively correlated with ozone were mainly related to air masses from the upper troposphere over the Arctic region and middle troposphere over the temperate North Atlantic Ocean, whereas high GOM events anti-correlated with ozone were mainly related to air masses from the lower free troposphere over the subtropical North Atlantic Ocean. The ARTs analysis demonstrates that the lower and middle free troposphere over the North Atlantic Ocean was the largest source region of atmospheric GOM at the PDM Observatory. The ratios of high GOM ARTs to total ARTs over the subtropical North Atlantic Ocean in summer were significantly higher than those over the temperate and sub-arctic North Atlantic Ocean as well as that over the North Atlantic Ocean in other seasons, indicating abundant in situ oxidation of GEM to GOM in the lower free troposphere over the subtropical North Atlantic Ocean in summer.

Annual cycles of phytoplankton biomass in the subarctic Atlantic and Pacific Ocean

AbstractHigh‐latitude phytoplankton blooms support productive fisheries and play an important role in oceanic uptake of atmospheric carbon dioxide. In the subarctic North Atlantic Ocean, blooms are a recurrent feature each year, while in the eastern subarctic Pacific only small changes in chlorophyll (Chl) are seen over the annual cycle. Here we show that when evaluated using phytoplankton carbon biomass (Cphyto) rather than Chl, an annual bloom in the North Pacific is evident and can even rival blooms observed in the North Atlantic. The annual increase in subarctic Pacific phytoplankton biomass is not readily observed in the Chl record because it is paralleled by light‐ and nutrient‐driven decreases in cellular pigment levels (Cphyto:Chl). Specifically, photoacclimation and iron stress effects on Cphyto:Chl oppose the biomass increase, leading to only modest changes in bulk Chl. The magnitude of the photoacclimation effect is quantified using descriptors of the near‐surface light environment and a photophysiological model. Iron stress effects are diagnosed from satellite chlorophyll fluorescence data. Lastly, we show that biomass accumulation in the Pacific is slower than that in the Atlantic but is closely tied to similar levels of seasonal nutrient uptake in both basins. Annual cycles of satellite‐derived Chl and Cphyto are reproduced by in situ autonomous profiling floats. These results contradict the long‐standing paradigm that environmental conditions prevent phytoplankton accumulation in the subarctic Northeast Pacific and suggest a greater seasonal decoupling between phytoplankton growth and losses than traditionally implied. Further, our results highlight the role of physiological processes in shaping bulk properties, such as Chl, and their interpretation in studies of ocean ecosystem dynamics and climate change.

Trends in Stranding and By-Catch Rates of Gray and Harbor Seals along the Northeastern Coast of the United States: Evidence of Divergence in the Abundance of Two Sympatric Phocid Species?

Harbor seals and gray seals are sympatric phocid pinnipeds found in coastal waters of the temperate and sub-Arctic North Atlantic. In the Northwest Atlantic, both species were depleted through a combination of subsistence hunts and government supported bounties, and are now re-occupying substantial portions of their original ranges. While both species appear to have recovered during the past 2 decades, our understanding of their population dynamics in US waters is incomplete. Here we describe trends in stranding and bycatch rates of harbor and gray seals in the North East United States (NEUS) over the past 16 years through an exploratory curve-fitting exercise and structural break-point analysis. Variability in gray seal strandings in Southern New England and bycatch in the Northeast Sink Gillnet Fishery were best described by fitting positive exponential and linear models, and exhibited rates of increase as high as 22%. In contrast, neither linear nor exponential models fit the oscillation of harbor seal strandings and bycatch over the study period. However, a breakpoint Chow test revealed that harbor seal strandings in the Cape Cod, Massachusetts region and harbor seal bycatch in the Northeast Sink Gillnet Fishery increased in the 1990s and then started declining in the early to mid-2000s. Our analysis indicates that ongoing variation in natural and anthropogenic mortality rates of harbor and gray seals in the NEUS is not synchronous, and likely represents diverging trends in abundance of these species as they assume new roles in the marine ecosystems of the region.

Climate versus geological controls on glacial meltwater micronutrient production in southern Greenland

Low concentrations of micronutrients in subarctic North Atlantic surface waters limit phytoplankton growth. Iron, phosphorous, and silicon are all potentially bio-limiting nutrients; iron is the most well documented in the subarctic North Atlantic. Manganese, nickel, copper and zinc are also essential trace metals for phytoplankton cell function. However, the spatial and temporal variability in the flux of these elements to the subarctic North Atlantic is undercharacterized. Here we show new data from the meltseason peak in 2013 indicating that glacial meltwater from the southern tip of Greenland has elevated dissolved major and trace metal concentrations compared to glacial meltwater draining shorter melt season glacial catchments to the north. Fe concentrations range from 0.13 to 6.97 μM, Zn from 4 to 95 μM, and Si from 4 to 36 μM, all higher than the depleted surface waters of the subarctic North Atlantic. Measured hydrochemical data modeled by PHREEQC indicates meltwater is undersaturated in pyrite and silicate phases but supersaturated with respect to oxyhydroxides, hematite and goethite, all phases that precipitate Fe as colloids, of which the nanoparticle phases should remain biologically available. The variability in geologic units between the sites indicates that subglacial lithology is a minor but not the dominant control on meltwater chemistry. The disparity in concentrations is directly correlated with climate, and an extended melt season, suggesting that future warming in Greenland will lead to increased trace element, and potential micronutrient, flux to the subarctic North Atlantic surface waters.

Evidence from &amp;quot;Köppen signatures&amp;quot; of fossil plant assemblages for effective heat transport of Gulf Stream to subarctic North Atlantic during Miocene cooling

Abstract. Shallowing of the Panama Sill and the closure of the Central American Seaway initiated the modern Loop Current–Gulf Stream circulation pattern during the Miocene, but no direct evidence has yet been provided for effective heat transport to the northern North Atlantic during that time. Climatic signals from 11 precisely dated plant-bearing sedimentary rock formations in Iceland, spanning 15–0.8 million years (Myr), resolve the impacts of the developing Miocene global thermohaline circulation on terrestrial vegetation in the subarctic North Atlantic region. "Köppen signatures" were implemented to express climatic properties of fossil plant taxa and their potential modern analogues using the principal concept of the generic Köppen–Geiger climate system, which is based on plant distribution patterns. Using Köppen signatures and the correlation between Köppen climate zones and major global vegetation zones, fossil assemblages were used to trace major vegetation shifts. This evidence was combined with evidence from tectonics and palaeoceanography. In contrast to the global climatic trend, the vegetation record reveals no cooling between ~ 15 and 12 Myr, whereas periods of climatic deterioration between 12 and 10 Myr, 8 and 4 Myr, and in the Pleistocene are in phase with increased pulses of ice-rafted debris in the Northern Hemisphere. The observed sequence of climate change in the northern North Atlantic can most likely be explained by an effective Gulf Stream-mediated heat transport from the middle Miocene onwards.

Phytoplankton production and growth regulation in the Subarctic North Atlantic: A comparative study of the Labrador Sea-Labrador/Newfoundland shelves and Barents/Norwegian/Greenland seas and shelves

A study was made of phytoplankton (distribution, phenology, physiology, productivity and community composition) and environment properties that influence their growth (light and nutrients) comparing the western Subarctic Atlantic (Labrador Sea, Labrador/Newfoundland shelves) with the eastern Subarctic (Barents, Norwegian and Greenland Seas and shelves) and drawing on ship-based observations, satellite ocean colour data (SeaWiFS) and output from a 3D coupled ecosystem-ocean circulation model, covering the last 15–25yrs. Similarities between regions were seen in geographic variability (e.g. latitudinal gradients), seasonal cycles and magnitude of phytoplankton biomass and productivity, and community composition. Regional differences were related to geographic location, presence/absence of ice, seasonal mixing, source waters (Arctic versus Atlantic) and nutrient supply, and response to atmospheric forcing. With regard to the latter, most of the observations considered in this study cover the recent period of rapid warming and the historical out-of-phase response (e.g. ice conditions, air and ocean temperatures, hydrography) of the western and eastern Subarctic Atlantic to atmospheric forcing is no longer apparent. Observations and modelling looking back over the last two decades suggest that the timing of the spring bloom and peak seasonal productivity are occurring progressively earlier in the year, particularly at high latitudes in both the western and eastern Subarctic. Climate change (ocean warming) is projected to increase overall phytoplankton productivity in the Subarctic Atlantic and will be manifest particularly in ice-influenced regions Labrador/Newfoundland Shelves, Barents/Greenland Seas and shelves and regions where Arctic outflow and Atlantic inflow influence phytoplankton dynamics. Northward movement of Atlantic waters as a result of climate change, manifest earliest in the eastern Subarctic (Norwegian/Barents Seas) will displace cold-water phytoplankton species with warm-water species and shift community transitions zones farther north in the coming decades.

On the ecology of Calanus finmarchicus in the Subarctic North Atlantic: A comparison of population dynamics and environmental conditions in areas of the Labrador Sea-Labrador/Newfoundland Shelf and Norwegian Sea Atlantic and Coastal Waters

The Norwegian Sea is generally warmer than the Labrador Sea because it is influenced more by Atlantic Water inflows from the south, whereas the latter receives relatively larger inputs of Arctic Water from the north. Despite its more northerly location, the spring bloom generally starts earlier in the Norwegian Sea. Within each of the two seas, however, there are regional and interannual differences in temperature and the timing of the spring bloom. The responses of Calanus finmarchicus populations to these differences in environmental conditions include differences in physical characteristics (e.g. female size), physiological rates (egg production rates) and seasonal cycles of abundance. Females are generally larger in the Labrador Sea and have higher egg production rates for a given chlorophyll concentration than do those in the Norwegian Sea. Within and among areas in both seas, as temperatures increase and spring blooms tend to occur earlier, C. finmarchicus start to reproduce earlier, the new generation develops faster, and in some areas a second generation ensues. In areas where near surface temperatures are relatively high in summer and/or where phytoplankton growth rates are relatively low in summer or autumn, reproduction and development cease, and C. finmarchicus desert the surface layers for their overwintering depths. This occurs in the Norwegian Sea in summer and in the central Labrador Sea in autumn. By contrast, in areas where near surface temperatures remain cool in summer and where phytoplankton growth persists through the autumn, reproduction and development can continue through summer and autumn, probably until winter vertical mixing prevents phytoplankton growth. This occurs on the southern Newfoundland Shelf. Even in areas where the growth season is prolonged, however, a proportion of the first generation, and probably subsequent generations, descends to overwinter. If the size of the overwintering population is used as an index of net productivity, then for equivalent regions in the Norwegian Sea and Labrador Sea (the areas of each most affected by Atlantic inflow), the differences in ambient temperatures and bloom dynamics apparently have little impact. With global warming, as temperatures in the Norwegian and Labrador Seas increase up to a certain threshold, the timing of life history events for C. finmarchicus will likely be advanced and the number of generations produced per year could increase. The time spent in the near surface layers will probably decrease, however, while the overall effect on population size may not be large. Once the temperature threshold for unfavourable survival of C. finmarchicus has been exceeded, the distribution range for C. finmarchicus will likely contract northwards, with important consequences for dependent species in the affected regions.