abigail mcquatters-gollop 2015 plankton
DESCRIPTION
Update on SW planktonAbigail McQuatters-Gollop, David Johns, George Graham, Rowena Stern SAHFOS, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB E: [email protected] change is resulting in warming temperatures, declining ocean pH, decreasing sea ice, shifts in biological communities, and alterations to marine physical regimes. At the base of the marine food-web, plankton are tightly linked to their environment and offer insight into pelagic responses to change in the marine system. Understanding of open sea plankton dynamics is crucial for interpreting sub-regional observations in the southwest and aiding the separation of responses to climate from those driven by anthropogenic pressures. Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) data have revealed novel information about shifts in primary production; changes in harmful algal bloom dynamics; alterations to plankton community composition and diversity; phenological changes; biogeographical range shifts; introductions of non-native species; and changes in biodiversity. The taxonomic breadth and long time-series of the CPR survey has also highlighted recent occurrences of unusual plankton taxa in the southwest while the routine deployment of our Water and Microbial Sampler (WaMS) has revealed hidden diversity in the pelagic habitat of the region. The capabilities of the CPR survey are being expanded with the addition of new instrumentation to capture the environmental data required to better understand observed changes in southwest plankton. When combined, CPR research and observational data provide important evidence needed for policy decision making and sustainable management of southwest waters.For more information see:http://www.sahfos.ac.uk/research/publications/annual-report.aspx McQuatters-Gollop, A., Edwards, M., Helaouët, P., Johns, D.G., Owens, N.J.P., Raitsos, D.E., Schroeder, D., Skinner, J. and Stern, R.F., Submitted. The Continuous Plankton Recorder survey: how can long-term phytoplankton datasets deliver Good Environmental Status?. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science.TRANSCRIPT
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Update on SW plankton
Abigail McQuatters-Gollop, David G. Johns, George Graham, Rowena F.
Stern
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Produce 50% of worlds oxygen
Key role in carbon cycle
High diversity
Sensitive to climate change
Base of marine food web
Respond quickly to changes in env.
Why monitor plankton?
Crucial to ecosystem functioning
Clear links to humans
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SAHFOS Ships of Opportunity Unchanged methodology (>80 years) Longest, most spatially extensive oceanic monitoring program in the world ~ 1 million samples 6 million nm of ocean 500 plankton taxa + indicator of phyto biomass Microplastics Sample archive
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Updated from Edwards et al (2001) ICES Journal of Marine ScienceMcQuatters-Gollop et al 2011 Nature
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Diatoms and dinoflagellates
Hinder et al Nature Climate Change
No
rth
east
Atl
anti
c
Sou
thw
est
UK
wat
ers
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Changes in SW copepods
C. helgolandicus warm
C. finmarchicus cold, lipid-rich
Change in quality and quantity of food for larval fish
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Beaugrand, McQuatters-Gollop, et al 2013 Nature Climate Change Beare, McQuatters-Gollop, et al 2013 PLOS ONE
OA Changes in calcareous plankton
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Climate key driver of plankton dynamics
Goberville et al 2015
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Increased taxonomic resolution of coccolithophores
Syracosphaera pulchra Scyphosphaera apsteinii
Rhabdosphaeraclaviger
Emiliania huxleyi
Discosphaera tubiferaCoccolithus pelagicusAcanthoicaquattrospina
Braarudosphaerabigelowii
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Developing instrumentation programme
10 Routes4 Routes
Web-based Visualisations
Conductivity,Temperature,
Depth,Fluorescence
Multispectral fluorescence
ARGO standardConductivity &Temperature
? 02 / pC02
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Water and Microbial Sampler (WaMS)
Revealing new diversity in small size classes
Complements traditional CPR sampling
Building a more robust picture of pelagic community
Forming a new time-series!
Taxa in bold in WaMS, rest are reference taxa
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Recent unusual plankton
Neoceratium breve warm-water, mid-Atlantic dinoflagellate, rare in CPR(Photo scilo.org)
Aetideus actutus warm-water, new to CPR survey(Photo http://copepodes.obs-banyuls.fr/)
Cyanea lamarckii found near Hull(Photo Sue Daly via MarLIN)
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Recent unusual plankton
Heterophryxus appendiculatus a parasitic isopod that preys on krill. Recorded near America.
(Photo by Rob Camp)
Distoculus minor 1 mm warm-water harpactacoid, new to the CPR survey, recorded near New England
(Photo by Astrid Fisher)
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CPR data providing evidence
CPR data underpinning target setting and indicator development for the UKs and OSPARs implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive
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Key messages
Climate change primary driver of plankton dynamics in Southwest and North Atlantic
Multi-decadal biological t-s such as the CPR essential to detecting and understanding change
New environmental instrumentation and microbial time-series increasing our understanding
Data and research crucial for informing policy and decision making
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Thank you!
Abigail McQuatters-GollopSAHFOS
[email protected]@anaturalstate