Tropical Pacific Ocean Research Articles

A Strong 2023/24 El Niño is Staged by Tropical Pacific Ocean Heat Content Buildup

The upper ocean heat content in the equatorial Pacific usually serves as a primary precursor for an upcoming El Niño, while strong atmospheric perturbations such as westerly wind burst and easterly wind surge sometimes play a decisive role in determining the final intensity of the event. The tropical Pacific Ocean has just experienced a rare 3-year La Niña, which accumulated a huge amount of warm water in the western basin by the winter of 2022 with an intensity much stronger than those preceding the onset of strong El Niños in history. Using a state-of-the-art climate prediction system, here, we show that the restored warm water is sufficient for boosting a strong El Niño toward the end of 2023 and that an even stronger event could take place if a few sizable westerly wind bursts would occur in spring and early summer. This prediction is not sensitive to initial errors within the tropical Pacific but may be subject to some uncertainties brought about by influences from elsewhere.

Water column characteristics in the Clarion Clipperton Fracture Zone, north-eastern tropical Pacific Ocean

Water column characteristics in the Clarion Clipperton Fracture Zone, north-eastern tropical Pacific Ocean

Climate Feedback to Stratospheric Aerosol Forcing: The Key Role of the Pattern Effect

Abstract Volcanic aerosol forcing has previously been found to cause a weak global mean temperature response, as compared with CO2 radiative forcing of equal magnitude: its efficacy is supposedly low, but for reasons that are not fully understood. To investigate this, we perform idealized, time-invariant stratospheric sulfate aerosol forcing simulations with the MPI-ESM-1.2 and compare them with 0.5 × CO2 and 2 × CO2 runs. While the early decades of the aerosol forcing simulations are characterized by strong negative feedback (i.e., low efficacy), the feedback weakens on the decadal to centennial time scale. Although this effect is qualitatively also found in CO2-warming simulations, it is more pronounced for stratospheric aerosol forcing. The strong early and weak late cooling feedbacks compensate, leading to an equilibrium efficacy of approximately 1 in all simulations. The 0.5 × CO2 cooling simulations also exhibit strong feedback changes over time, albeit less than in the idealized aerosol forcing simulations. This suggests that the underlying cause for the feedback change is not exclusively specific to aerosol forcing. One critical region for the feedback differences between simulations with negative and positive radiative forcing is the tropical Indo-Pacific warm-pool region (30°S–30°N, 50°E–160°W). In the first decades of cooling, the temperature change in this region is stronger than the global average, whereas it is stronger outside it for 2 × CO2 warming. In cooling scenarios, this leads to an enhanced activation of the warm-pool region’s strongly negative lapse-rate feedback. Significance Statement Large volcanic eruptions can enhance the scattering aerosol layer in the stratosphere, which leads to a global cooling for a few years. Surprisingly, Earth has been found to cool less from radiative flux perturbations from stratospheric aerosol forcing, in comparison with how much it warms as a result of increases in CO2 concentration. We find that specific surface temperature change patterns after volcanic eruptions cause this effect. The temperature change in the tropical Indian and western Pacific Ocean determines how much global temperature change is needed to regain radiative equilibrium. Our findings contribute to understanding the climate response to volcanic eruptions and are relevant for understanding the mechanisms of climate change due to changes in CO2 concentration.

Linkages between Madden–Julian oscillation and drought events over Kenya

Increased frequencies and intensities of extreme weather events have negatively impacted climate-sensitive socio-economic sectors in Kenya and larger Equatorial East Africa (EEA). Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) influence intra-seasonal weather variability over Kenya although less attention has been given to its effect on extreme weather events such as droughts and floods, which have increased in frequency and intensity. Outgoing Longwave Radiation (OLR) was used in this work as proxy data for rainfall to study the geographical distribution and circulation anomalies associated with MJOs and their impacts on extreme weather events. Extreme weather events are identified using the self-calibrating Palmer Drought Severity Index (sc-PDSI), based on sc-PDSI, 2013/2014 and 2017/2018 as the drought and flood years, respectively. The background power spectral analysis reveals that MJOs are more dominant during the March–May (MAM) season than other seasons. The variance analysis depicted that the maximum power of MJO-filtered OLR is cantered within the tropical Indian Ocean, maritime continent and the tropical Pacific Ocean. Upper tropospheric (200 hPa) wind signatures give a clear Matsuno-Gill-type circulation compared to the lower tropospheric wind flows. Thus, the signatures can be used to develop a dynamic MJO index for prediction purposes. There exists a weak direct relationship between MJO and sc-PDSI; however, the influence may result from its modulation of atmospheric circulation as illustrated by the wind and velocity potential patterns before and after the passage of the convective MJO phase.

A hybrid statistical-dynamical prediction model for summer precipitation in northwestern China based on NCEP CFSv2

As a typical arid/semi-arid area, summer rainfall in northwestern China (NWC) is critical for the ecological environment there. The NWC summer rainfall prediction using statistical and dynamical models shows very poor performance. The dynamical model NCEP CFSv2 shows very low prediction skill in NWC summer precipitation. NWC precipitation index (NWC PI) is defined as the regional mean summer precipitation over NWC. This study first investigates the soil moisture and SST (sea surface temperature) signals in the preceding months, and CFSv2 April predicted summer large-scale circulation anomalies significantly related with NWC PI during 1982–2016 (2011 missing). The April soil moisture in the upstream central Asia, and SST in the preceding winter over tropical Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Ocean are identified as predictor candidates in the observation. Besides, six April predicted large-scale circulation factors in CFSv2 are also hired. The potential model predictors are selected generally based on three criteria: where CFSv2 has significant prediction skill, and NWC PI is significantly correlated with the variable in both the observation and its counterpart in CFSv2 prediction. Hybrid models are then constructed based on different predictor combinations. The leave-one-out cross validation illustrates that the hybrid model using three predictors (April soil moisture in the upstream central Asia, April predicted zonal wind over the Maritime Continent, April predicted SLP over the Mediterranean Sea) presents best performance, with anomalies correlation coefficient–ACC of 0.65, percentage of the same sign–PERC 76.5%, relative error–RE 6.97%, and root mean square error–RMSE 0.344 mm/day for NWC PI. The April soil moisture in the upstream central Asia is linked with the summer water vapor flux over NWC, and April predicted zonal wind over the Maritime Continent is related with the large-scale circulation over NWC, while caution must be taken when April predicted SLP over the Mediterranean Sea is used as predictor of NWC PI.

Abrupt Drying on the Southeast Coast of China During the Mid‐to‐Late Holocene Transition

AbstractIt is becoming increasingly clear that China experienced significant hydrological changes during the mid‐to‐late Holocene transition—a period characterized by societal changes. However, the nature of the hydroclimate anomaly as well as the direct consequences on societies in Southeast China remains unclear. Here, we present a leaf wax record from the Shuizhuyang peat deposit in Southeast China spanning the Holocene. The δD values of C29 n‐alkane (δDC29) showed a large positive shift up to 24‰ from 4.7 to 3.8 ka, which changed independent of vegetation proxies and could not be solely explained by precipitation δD variations. It is thus most likely to reflect abrupt drying, which is probably shaped by a more El Niño‐like mean state in the tropical Pacific Ocean. We hypothesize that such a significant change in hydroclimate might have promoted the development of mixed rice and millet farming on the southeast coast of China.

Orbital‐ to millennial‐scale variation of the speleothem δ18O record during Marine Isotope Stages 5 to 3 on the southeast Chinese Loess Plateau and its climatic and environmental implications

ABSTRACTThe Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP) is located in northern China, a region climatically dominated by the East Asian monsoon. Speleothem records from this region are crucial to fully understand the variability of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) and reconcile the disparity seen between loess records and speleothem δ18O records for the EASM. Here, we present an absolutely dated stalagmite isotope record spanning most of Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5 to MIS 3 from Xiaotian Cave, southeast CLP. The Xiaotian speleothem δ18O record is dominated by precessional variations and punctuated by notable millennial‐scale oscillations; in particular, the δ18O values in MIS 5e, 5c and 5a were in the same range, consistent with other speleothem δ18O records from the EASM region within quoted errors, verifying the difference between speleothem δ18O and loess records (e.g. magnetic susceptibility) and the proposition that those two archives may record different aspects of the EASM changes. The similar values in MIS 5e, 5c and 5a observed from the speleothem δ18O records in EASM regions, incompatible with the relatively higher North Hemisphere Summer Insolation (NHSI) during MIS 5e, were probably caused by an equivalent or even increased contribution of 18O‐enriched moisture from the South China Sea and North Pacific, implying that an El Niño‐like state existed during MIS 5e. The Xiaotian δ18O values increased abruptly at ~121.7 thousand years (kyr) before the present (bp, present refers to ad 1950), consistent with the trend seen in previously reported Chinese speleothem δ18O records, indicating an abrupt regime shift in atmospheric circulations or hydroclimate conditions in the Asian monsoon systems. It cannot be definitely ruled out that an increase in sea ice extent in the northern North Atlantic, responding to a decrease of NHSI, reached a threshold to have led to abrupt changes in the Asian summer monsoon (ASM) through rapid shifts in the position of circulation of the westerlies and/or in the position of Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). Here, we hypothesized that sea surface cooling in the tropical Indian and Pacific Ocean caused by the decreased summer insolation reached a threshold that eventually resulted in an abrupt shift to more positive precipitation δ18O, either through weakened convection over the tropical ocean, or through abrupt shifts in moisture transport and cycling of tropical moisture sources for the ASM. The Xiaotian speleothem δ18O record also shows centennial‐scale variability with amplitude up to 3‰ within MIS 5e. These changes are similar to variations recorded by the speleothem δ18O record from Tianmen Cave on the south‐central Tibetan Plateau and Shangxiaofeng Cave in Shandong Province, northern China, suggesting a heightened sensitivity of precipitation δ18O to climate changes at the marginal zone of the ASM even during the warm and humid MIS 5e interglacial. Climatic oscillations during MIS 5e appear to be comparable to those typical of the Holocene, implying rather unstable climate conditions during the Last Interglacial.

Intrinsic Century‐Scale Variability in Tropical Pacific Sea Surface Temperatures and Their Influence on Western US Hydroclimate

AbstractHydroclimate variability of the southwest United States (SWUS) is influenced by the tropical Pacific Ocean, particularly through the teleconnection to El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO), which is expected to be altered by climate change. Natural variability in this teleconnection has not been robustly quantified, complicating the detection of anthropogenic climate change. Here, we use a linear inverse model (LIM) to quantify natural variability in the ENSO‐SWUS teleconnection. The LIM yields realistic teleconnection patterns with century‐scale variability comparable to simulations from the Last Millennium Ensemble project and the Climate Model Intercomparison Project Phases 5 and 6. The variability quantified by the LIM illuminates two aspects of our understanding of ENSO and its impacts: the inherent statistics of the observable system can produce century‐long periods with a wide range of correlations to SWUS hydroclimate, including nonsignificant correlations, and thus that detecting changes in ENSO‐related hydroclimate variability is challenging in a changing climate.

Evaluation of CORDEX‐CORE regional climate models in simulating rainfall variability in Rwanda

AbstractIn this study, three regional climate models (RCMs), CCLM5‐0‐15, RegCM4‐7 and REMO2015, from CORDEX‐CORE (AFR‐22) are evaluated in their ability to reproduce rainfall variability in Rwanda for the period 1981–2005. They are driven by three different global climate models (GCMs), namely MPI‐M‐MPI‐ESM‐LR, NCC‐NorESM1‐M and MOHC‐HadGEM2‐ES, and the European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts Reanalysis (ECMWF‐ERAINT). Simulated rainfall is evaluated against observations from Rwanda Meteorology Agency to assess models' performance. A set of metrics are used to quantify discrepancies of models' simulations from observations. A possible association of El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) to rainfall over Rwanda is investigated. It is found that in general, all RCMs, their ensemble and multimodel ensemble means reproduce satisfactorily the spatial distribution of the mean seasonal rainfall (MSR), the mean rainfall annual cycle, and the interannual variability of the MSR for both March–April–May (MAM) and October–November–December (OND). However, significant biases in individual RCMs are observed with varying magnitude of bias in space. Observed MSR indicates a positive trend of 0.045 and 0.058 mm·day·year−1, respectively, for MAM and OND at 0.05 significance level, but almost all models indicate no significant trend (at 0.05 significance level). The seasonal correlations between observed rainfall anomalies and sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies indices across the tropical Pacific (Niño1+2 and Niño3.4) and Indian Oceans associated, respectively, with ENSO and IOD, although relatively weak, are reproduced by the three RCMs driven by ECMWF‐ERAINT and the multimodel ensemble means of ECMWF‐ERAINT and MPI‐M‐MPI‐ESM‐LR. Analysis of the Taylor diagram indicates that CCLM5‐0‐15_MPI‐M‐MPI‐ESM‐LR and the multimodel ensemble mean of MPI‐M‐MPI‐ESM‐LR outperform individual models. Overall, the evaluation finds reasonable model skill in representing seasonal rainfall climatology and variability, suggesting the potential use of CORDEX‐CORE (AFR‐22) RCMs for the assessment of future climate projections in Rwanda.

Inferring the linkage of sea surface height anomalies, surface wind stress and sea surface temperature with the falling ice radiative effects using satellite data and global climate models

This study attempts to infer the linkage of sea surface height anomaly (SSHA), surface wind stress and sea surface temperature with the falling ice (snow) radiative effects (FIREs) over the tropical and subtropical Pacific Ocean using CESM1-CAM5 sensitivity experiments with FIREs-off (NOS) and on (SON) under CMIP5 historical run. The obs4MIPs monthly SSH data based upon satellite measurements are used as a reference. The seasonal and annual mean spatial patterns of SSHA difference between NOS and SON are tightly linked to those of SST and TAU over the study domain, in particular, over the south Pacific. Compared with NOS, SON simulates improved seasonal and annual mean SSHA associated with improved sea surface temperature (SST), surface wind stress (TAU) over the trade-wind areas. In SON, the simulated mean absolute bias of SSHA over the study domain is reduced (up to 30%) against NOS relative to observations. The SSHA biases are then compared with CMIP5 models. Despite the biases of SST and SSHA over the south and north flanks of the equator in SON, the seasonal variations of improved SSHA are closely related to those of TAU and SST resulting from the FIREs; that is, higher SSHA is associated with weaker TAU and warmer SST changes and vice versa. The CMIP5 ensemble mean absolute biases of SSHA show similarities to NOS mainly over the south Pacific.

ENSO analysis and prediction using deep learning: A review

El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) mainly occurs in the tropical Pacific Ocean every a few years. But it affects the climate around the world and has a dramatic impact on the development of ecology and agriculture. The analysis and prediction of ENSO become particularly important for meteorology and disaster management. However, due to insufficient data, spring predictability barrier (SPB), and model uncertainty, traditional analysis models face challenges. To address these issues, researchers begin to apply deep learning (DL) technologies to ENSO research, exploring the impact of ENSO on the world's extreme climate changes. In recent years, deep learning-based methods have obtained impressive progress with more accurate and effective predictions of ENSO. In this paper, we summarize the attempts of DL technologies in predicting ENSO. We first introduce the properties of ENSO, followed by the architecture introduction of DL technologies and their application to ENSO. We then investigate the potential of DL technologies for ENSO prediction from various aspects, including model evaluation metrics, prediction algorithms, overcoming SPB and prediction uncertainty. Finally, we provide discussions on the future trends and challenges of using DL technologies for ENSO prediction.

Mechanisms of a Meteorological Drought Onset: Summer 2020 to Spring 2021 in Southwestern North America

Abstract By summer 2021 moderate to exceptional drought impacted 28% of North America, focused west of the Mississippi, with serious impacts on fire, water resources, and agriculture. Here, using reanalyses and SST-forced climate models, we examine the onset and development of this southwestern drought from its inception in summer 2020 through winter and spring 2020/21. The drought severity in summer 2021 resulted from four consecutive prior seasons in which precipitation in the southwest United States was the lowest on record or, at least, extremely dry. The dry conditions in summer 2020 arose from internal atmospheric variability but are beyond the range of what the studied atmosphere models simulate for that season. From winter 2020 through spring 2021 the worsening drought conditions were guided by the development of a La Niña in the tropical Pacific Ocean. Decadal variability in the Pacific Ocean aided drought in the southern part of the region by driving the cool season to be drier during the last two decades. There is also evidence that the southern part of the region in spring is drying due to human-driven climate change. In sum the drought onset was driven by a combination of internal atmospheric variability and interannual climate variability and aided by natural decadal variability and human-driven climate change.

The Jelly-FAD: A paradigm shift in the design of biodegradable Fish Aggregating Devices

Fishers and scientists in the tropical Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans are jointly designing biodegradable fish aggregating devices (bio-FADs) that are efficient for fishing. The tactic followed by most fishers to construct bio-FADs is to maintain the same conventional drifting FAD (dFAD) design (i.e., large, submerged net panels hanging from a floating raft) but replacing plastic ropes and netting with organic ropes and canvases. Results from these experiences show that the lifetime of bio-FADs made with conventional FAD designs is notably shorter than what fishers require, thus precluding their adoption. The short lifespan of these bio-FADs is due to the inefficient design of conventional dFADs, which results in major structural stress. Thus, to successfully replace plastic with organic materials and increase the lifespan of bio-FADs, a paradigm shift is needed. Bio-FAD structures should be re-designed to minimize structural stress in the water. The present study summarizes what we have learned from testing bio-FADs in the three tropical oceans, and it proposes a new concept in dFAD design, the jelly-FAD. Mirroring jellyfish, this new dFAD design will aim for quasi-neutral buoyancy, which should reduce (i) the structural stress of the FAD at sea and (ii) the need for additional plastic flotation. The jelly-FAD is not necessarily a fixed design; it is more of a change in the concept of conventional dFAD construction. Preliminary results show that jelly-FADs aggregate tuna as well as conventional FADs do, with lifespans greater than 6 months at sea. In addition, the jelly-FAD showed average drifting speeds similar to a conventional dFAD. To accelerate the adoption of bio-FADs worldwide, recommendations for jelly-FAD construction and tests are provided.

The diel vertical distribution and carbon biomass of the zooplankton community in the Caroline Seamount area of the western tropical Pacific Ocean

Zooplankton can affect and regulate the biological carbon pump in the biogeochemical cycles of marine ecosystems through diel vertical migration (DVM) behaviour. The diel vertical distribution and migration of a zooplankton community were studied at a continuous survey station in the Caroline Seamount area of the western tropical Pacific Ocean. Using a MultiNet sampling system, 346 zooplankton species/taxa were collected and identified. The vertical distribution patterns of abundance and composition of the zooplankton community differed between daytime and nighttime. The highest biodiversity index occurred in the 100–200-m ocean depth layer, but some zooplankton species remained in the deep-water layer below 300 m. The DVM patterns of the various dominant species differed, even when the species belonged to the same order or family. Dissolved oxygen and seawater temperature were the main environmental factors affecting the diel vertical distribution of the zooplankton community. The oxygen minimum zone was identified as performing the dual role of “ecological barrier” and “refuge” for zooplankton. The active carbon flux mediated by the zooplankton DVM in the Caroline Seamount area was 14.5 mg C/(m2·d). Our findings suggest that zooplankton DVM can affect and mediate the biological carbon pump in the Caroline Seamount area.

Derivation of New Daily Rainfall Values from TAO 1-Min Rain Gauge Data

Abstract Daily rainfall accumulation estimates have been derived from 1-min volume data collected via self-syphon rain gauges deployed in the Tropical Atmosphere–Ocean (TAO) array of oceanographic buoys. The underlying high-resolution volume data were obtained directly from the Global Tropical Moored Buoy Array (GTMBA) Project Office of NOAA/Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory. The derived accumulations have been incorporated into the Pacific Rainfall (PACRAIN) database as estimated daily values to augment existing sea level oceanic rainfall records gathered using traditional rain gauges. They have also been included in the PACRAIN historical, monthly gridded rainfall product. The methodology presented, which employs differencing of least squares–regressed sensor levels about 0000 UTC and rain gauge syphon events, is shown to offer improved error characteristics over the methodology used to compute previously published GTMBA rain rates. In particular, the PACRAIN method yields larger coefficients of determination and smaller standard errors than the duplicated GTMBA method when applied to synthetic rainfall data with noise magnitude and decorrelation times encompassing those observed in the real 1-min data. These results are shown to be consistent with mathematical expectations. Sources of instrument and catchment errors, as well as evaporation, are discussed in the context of their potential effects on accumulation estimates for periods of a day or longer. Significance Statement In this paper, we describe the derivation of daily rainfall amounts from raw rain gauge data obtained from buoy-mounted rain gauges. These new accumulation estimates expand the store of rainfall estimates from locations approximating the open-ocean conditions of the tropical Pacific Ocean. The derivation technique we describe exhibits better performance than the method used to generate previously published estimates using the same dataset.

Microplastic contamination and risk assessment in blue shark (Prionace glauca) from the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.

We quantified the abundance and characteristics of microplastics in the blue shark, Prionace glauca, found in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean and investigated the potential microplastic pollution risks. Microplastics (MPs) were detected in 39.1% of specimens, up to 0.15±0.38 items/g wet weight of the posterior part of the pylorus, and were sized 45.87 to 3220.12μm. The majority were fibrous in shape (83.3%) and blue in color (72.2%). Both sexes of sharks had similar MP abundance and characteristics, except for polymers, with polyethylene terephthalate and polypropylene representing the dominant type in males and females, respectively. Most individuals experienced low pollution, but one male P. glauca exhibited a high ecological risk level owing to the high MP abundance and detection of polyvinyl chloride. This study provides an important baseline for the ingestion of microplastics by pelagic shark species and is a preliminary quantitative measure that could be used in future studies of the risk of MPs.

Linking the Antarctic sea ice extent changes during 1979–2020 to seasonal modes of Antarctic sea ice variability

The Antarctic sea ice extent slowly expanded through the four-decade-long satellite era until 2014 when the expansion came to a halt, followed by a rapid contraction in the next couple of years. This sudden unexpected trend reversal has sparked considerable research interest and several mechanisms have been proposed to explain it; however, much remains to be explored. In this study, we show that the long-term increasing trend in the Antarctic sea ice extent and its recent reversal can be largely explained by the first, second and fourth empirical orthogonal function mode of sea ice variability in austral summer, autumn and spring, respectively. We illustrate that the sea ice variability represented by the three modes is mostly consistent with what is expected from the anomalous atmospheric circulations associated with planetary wavetrains that are triggered by anomalous sea surface temperature (SST) and convective activities over the Southern Indian and Pacific Oceans. More specifically, the results suggest a teleconnection between the increasing periods in the Antarctic sea ice extent in the past four decades and the positive SST anomalies over the southeastern Indian Ocean and the western tropical Pacific Ocean. The opposite occurs over the decreasing period. Accordingly, the same mechanisms, in different phases, have been associated with the periods of increasing and decreasing Antarctic sea ice extent.

Comparative Analysis between Sea Surface Salinity Derived from SMOS Satellite Retrievals and in Situ Measurements

Validating Sea Surface Salinity (SSS) data has become a key component of the Soil Moisture Ocean Salinity (SMOS) satellite mission. In this study, the gridded SMOS SSS products are compared with in situ SSS data from analyzed products, a ship-based thermosalinograph and a tropical moored buoy array. The comparison was conducted at different spatial and temporal scales. A regional comparison in the Baltic Sea shows that SMOS slightly underestimates the mean SSS values. The influence of river discharge overrides the temperature in the Baltic Sea, bringing larger biases near river mouths in warm seasons. The global comparison with two Optimal Interpolated (OI) gridded in situ products shows consistent large-scale structures. Excluding regions with large SSS biases, the mean ΔSSS between monthly gridded SMOS data and OI in situ data is −0.01 PSU in most open sea areas between 60°S and 60°N, with a mean Root Mean Square Deviation (RMSD) of 0.2 PSU and a mean correlation coefficient of 0.50. An interannual tendency of mean ΔSSS shifting from negative to positive between satellite SSS and in situ SSS has been identified in tropical to mid-latitude seas, especially across the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean. A comparison with collocated buoy salinity shows that on weekly and interannual scales, the SMOS Level 3 (L3) product well captures the SSS variations at the locations of tropical moored buoy arrays and shows similar performance with in situ gridded products. Excluding suspicious buoys, the synergetic analysis of SMOS, SMAP and gridded in situ products is capable of identifying the erroneous data, implying that satellite SSS has the potential to act as a real-time 27 Quality Control (QC) for buoy data.

Mesozooplankton biodiversity, vertical assemblages, and diel migration in the western tropical Pacific Ocean revealed by eDNA metabarcoding and morphological methods

Zooplankton plays a crucial role in marine ecosystems. However, due to issues with morphological identification and sampling methods, knowledge of their biodiversity and community structure in the vast pelagic zone of the western tropical Pacific Ocean is still limited compared with other areas in the North Pacific Ocean. In this study, we used environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding and morphological identification approaches to investigate mesozooplankton’s biodiversity and vertical assemblages in the western tropical Pacific Ocean from the surface to 1000 m deep. Two different barcodes were used in metabarcoding: mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) and small subunit ribosomal RNA genes (18S). Our results showed that eDNA metabarcoding revealed 2-4 times more medusae taxa than morphological processing. Both methods detected that small copepod species were dominant in the community and six of the top-10 most abundant copepod genera overlapped. Morphological results showed that mesozooplankton communities were classified into three groups: epipelagic (0–200 m), upper mesopelagic (200-500 m), and lower mesopelagic (500–1000 m). And eDNA results showed distinct vertical variations of mesozooplankton communities within the epipelagic. Both methods showed that the dominant genera Clausocalanus, Paracalanus, and Calocalanus exhibited diel patterns in relative abundance, demonstrating that the eDNA method can capture diel vertical migration (DVM) signals of copepods. Overall, our results indicate that eDNA metabarcoding is an effective and efficient tool for the study and monitoring of mesozooplankton diversity and vertical assemblages in the open sea.

Insignificant effects of eddies and typhoons on the biogeochemistry of the tropical northwest Pacific Ocean

We investigated the effects of eddies and typhoons on the biogeochemistry of the tropical northwest Pacific by examining the distribution of nutrients, dissolved oxygen (DO), chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), gross primary production (GPP), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM). Water samples were collected from anticyclonic and cyclonic eddies in September 2019 and 2020, and before and after the passage of a Category 2 typhoon in 2019. The study region was characterized by a deep nitracline (~150 m), which was deeper than both the pycnocline (~50 m) and the FDOM-depleted layer (~75 m). A subsurface chlorophyll maximum layer was observed at 100–150 m depth. No clear differences in Chl-a, DO, GPP, DOC, and FDOM were observed for the anticyclonic and cyclonic eddies, indicating that the eddies did not have a significant influence on biological production. Similarly, there were no discernable changes in Chl-a concentrations or other biogeochemical parameters after the passage of the typhoon, which induced water mixing to a depth of ~60 m. We conjecture that the nutrient-depleted layer was too deep for any eddy- or typhoon-induced vertical mixing to cause upwelling of nutrients to the euphotic zone. Our results imply that the disturbances caused by mesoscale processes in the upper layer of the highly oligotrophic northwest Pacific may have a smaller effect than in oceans in other parts of the world.