Author: Afonso  Ferreira,   (MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, University of Lisbon)

Designation: 

Description:
Ocean color remote sensing has become a widely used tool to monitor phytoplankton biomass in the global ocean. As global continuous satellite records start to extend past 20 years, it becomes possible to shed light on the interannual variability of phytoplankton biomass and its drivers. One elusive component of interannual variability is the occurrence of anomalous biomass events, typically due to external forcing. This work sought to study an anomalous event detected in the North East Atlantic waters ~250km off the Iberian Coast in March 2009, where phytoplankton biomass reached very high concentrations for offshore waters (> 5 mg m^-3). Using remote sensing datasets, the spatial and temporal distribution of this event was characterized. The succession of the phytoplankton community composition was also assessed. The drivers of the event were investigated and possible consequences to the ecosystem were analyzed. Preliminary results of these analyses will be presented. This work is expected to contribute to the knowledge of phytoplankton anomalous events in oceanic regions and their potential role in shaping marine communities and ecosystem services.

Category: Scientific Program Abstract > Special Sessions > CS27 Phytoplankton ecology and physiology