Gulf of Alaska | Climate and Oceanography
Long-term interannual phytoplankton phenology changes within the bioregions of the subarctic Pacific Ocean based on satellite observations Presenter: Marta Konik , martakonik@uvic.ca, University of Victoria Vishnu Suseelan , psvishnu2014@gmail.com, University of Victoria
Christian Marchese , christian.marchese@ubc.ca, The University of British Columbia Angelica Peña , Angelica.Pena@dfo-mpo.gc.ca, Fisheries and Oceans Canada Toru Hirawake , hirawake.toru@nipr.ac.jp, National Institute of Polar Research Brian Hunt , b.hunt@oceans.ubc.ca, The University of British Columbia Lisa Eisner , lisa.eisner@noaa.gov, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries Maycira Costa , maycira@uvic.ca, University of Victoria
Phytoplankton, as the first food web level, affects the entire biota, including critical species like salmon. Apart from the overall yearly biomass, the proper timing of the phytoplankton abundance, as part of a characterization of phytoplankton phenology, is essential to provide sufficient energy for the higher trophic levels. Remote sensing provides a unique tool to track changes in the phytoplankton phenology due to the vast cover in space and time and information homogeneity. A merged satellite data series of chlorophyll-a concentration products obtained from the Globcolour, covering the years from 1998 to 2022, was validated and used to determine the phytoplankton phenology. The primary metrics were then applied to identify bioregions within the Subarctic Pacific. Biologically distinct bioregions allowed for observing interannual variability and recognizing subtle differences in the ecosystems over time, which may be easy to miss in global or very detailed spatial scales. The characteristic phenology patterns for each region and the comparison between them are also crucial to fully understanding the entire ecosystem and predicting potential changes in the nearest future in this region, which is severely impacted by climate warming. The research was conducted as part of The International Year of the Salmon initiative.
Alaska Marine Science Symposium 2023 9
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