BIBLIOS

Document type
Journal articles

Document subtype
Full paper

Title
Assessing Phytoplankton Bloom Phenology in Upwelling-Influenced Regions Using Ocean Color Remote Sensing

Participants in the publication
Afonso Ferreira (Author)
MARE
Vanda Brotas (Author)
FACULDADE DE CIÊNCIAS DA UNIVERSIDADE DE LISBOA
Dep. Biologia Vegetal
MARE
Carla Palma (Author)
Carlos Borges (Author)
Ana C. Brito (Author)
Dep. Biologia Vegetal
MARE

Summary
Phytoplankton bloom phenology studies are fundamental for the understanding of ma- rine ecosystems. Mismatches between fish spawning and plankton peak biomass will become more frequent with climate change, highlighting the need for thorough phenology studies in coastal areas. This study was the first to assess phytoplankton bloom phenology in the Western Iberian Coast (WIC), a complex coastal region in SW Europe, using a multisensor long-term ocean color remote sensing dataset with daily resolution. Using surface chlorophyll a (chl-a) and biogeophysical da- tasets, five phenoregions (i.e., areas with coherent phenology patterns) were defined. Oceanic phy- toplankton communities were seen to form long, low-biomass spring blooms, mainly influenced by atmospheric phenomena and water column conditions. Blooms in northern waters are more akin to the classical spring bloom, while blooms in southern waters typically initiate in late autumn and terminate in late spring. Coastal phytoplankton are characterized by short, high-biomass, highly heterogeneous blooms, as nutrients, sea surface height, and horizontal water transport are essential in shaping phenology. Wind-driven upwelling and riverine input were major factors influencing bloom phenology in the coastal areas. This work is expected to contribute to the management of the WIC and other upwelling systems, particularly under the threat of climate change.


Institution
FACULDADE DE CIÊNCIAS DA UNIVERSIDADE DE LISBOA

Where published
Remote Sensing

Publication Identifiers
ISSN - 2072-4292

Publisher
MDPI AG



Document Identifiers
DOI - https://doi.org/10.3390/rs13040675
URL - http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/rs13040675

Rankings
SCOPUS Q1 (2019) - 6.1 - General Earth and Planetary Sciences
Web Of Science Q2 (2020) - 4.848 - ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES - SCIE
Web Of Science Q2 (2020) - 4.848 - ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES - SCIE
SCIMAGO Q1 (2018) - 1.43 - Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous)

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