ARC Discovery project (DP21)
Why ocean deserts matter: phytoplankton productivity in oligotrophic waters
Project funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC) discovery scheme (project DP210101959), 2021 – 2024
The contribution of ocean deserts (where phytoplankton chlorophyll is low, < ~0.07 mg m-3) to global carbon budget needs to be reassessed. We need a better understanding of how particle characteristics drive the relationship between backscattering and phytoplankton carbon, so we can improve reliability of their estimates from satellite ocean colour radiometry.
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Objective 1
Investigating relationships among Inherent and Apparent optical properties, chlorophyll, phytoplankton carbon, Particulate Organic Carbon, and information on particle characteristics to improve retrieval of phytoC from satellite ocean colour
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Objective 2
Improve modelling of the optical particulate backscattering from phytoplankton and particle state variables in the coupled biogeochemical model currently run by CSIRO.
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Objective 3
Derive NPP from satellite primary productivity models of different kinds, and compare to field determinations and outputs of the coupled BGC model
Approach:
- Marine bio-optics
- Satellite ocean colour remote sensing
- Biogeochemical oceanography
- Biogeochemical modelling
Cruise track
32-day oceanographic voyage
(13 May 2019 – 14 June 2019) starting from and returning to Fremantle.
40S to 10S along the 110°E line
20 stations separated by 90 nautical miles
Project partners
• Dr. Mark Baird
• Dr. Karen Wild-Allen
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization
• Prof. Michael Behrenfeld
Oregon State University, OR, USA
Some preliminary results
- Antoine, D., M. Slivkoff, W. Klonowski, C. Kovach, and M. Ondrusek. 2021. “Uncertainty assessment of unattended above-water radiometric data collection from research vessels with the Dynamic Above-water Radiance (L) and Irradiance (E) Collector (DALEC).” Optics Express 29 (3): 4607-4631
- Landry, M. R., R. R. Hood, C. H. Davies, K. E. Selph, D. Antoine, M. C. Carl, and L. E. Beckley. 2022. “Microbial community biomass, production and grazing along 110°E in the eastern Indian Ocean.” Deep-Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography 202
- Raes, E. J., C. Hörstmann, M. R. Landry, L. E. Beckley, M. Marin, P. Thompson, D. Antoine, A. Focardi, J. O’Brien, M. Ostrowski, and 1 more contributors. 2022. “Dynamic change in an ocean desert: Microbial diversity and trophic transfer along the 110 °E meridional in the Indian Ocean.” Deep-Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography 201