Calcareous phytoplankton response to the half century of interannual climatic variability in Santa Barbara Basin (California)

A high-resolution study of calcareous phytoplankton in a box core from the Santa Barbara Basin (SBB) reveals floral assemblage fluctuations which can be related to climatic and paleoceanographic changes during the last half century (1940-1996). In particular, Gephyrocapsa oceanica production increas...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: de Castro, Biancca Scarpeline|||0000-0003-4878-1419, Ziveri, Patrizia|||0000-0002-5576-0301, Erba, Elisabetta, Thunell, Robert C.
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2008
País:España
Institución:Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Repositorio:Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ddd.uab.cat:25430
Acceso en línea:https://ddd.uab.cat/record/25430
https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.1029/2007PA001503
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Coccolithophores
Santa Barbara Basin
Climate variability
Decadal ocean variability
Anoxic environments
Phytoplankton
Descripción
Sumario:A high-resolution study of calcareous phytoplankton in a box core from the Santa Barbara Basin (SBB) reveals floral assemblage fluctuations which can be related to climatic and paleoceanographic changes during the last half century (1940-1996). In particular, Gephyrocapsa oceanica production increased during El Niño periods, in response to high temperatures, silica depletion, and increased iron availability. Conversely, Helicosphaera carteri flux increases in conjunction with lower surface temperatures associated with La Niña episodes. Increasing abundances of Florisphaera profunda and Umbilicosphaera sibogae after 1970 reflect a warming trend and increased stratification within the basin associated with the warm phase of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). Conversely, increased abundances of Coccolithus pelagicus and Calcidiscus leptoporus before 1970 mark the cold phase of PDO. These coccolithophore production rate data are consistent with instrumental records of surface and thermocline temperatures monitored since 1950. This is the first study to document the response of calcareous phytoplankton to surface water warming occurring in SBB since 1970