Geography
Document Type
Article
Abstract
The timing of sea ice retreat, light availability, and sea surface stratification largely control the phytoplankton community composition in the Chukchi Sea. This region is experiencing a significant warming trend, an overall decrease in sea ice cover, and a documented decline in annual sea ice persistence and thickness over the past several decades. The consequences of earlier seasonal sea ice retreat and a longer sea-ice-free season on phytoplankton community composition warrant investigation. We applied multivariate statistical techniques to elucidate the mechanisms that relate environmental variables to phytoplankton community composition in the Chukchi Sea using data collected during a single field campaign in the summer of 2011. Three phytoplankton groups emerged that were correlated with sea ice, sea surface temperature, nutrients, salinity, and light. Longer ice-free duration in a future Chukchi Sea will result in warmer sea surface temperatures and nutrient depletion, which we conclude will favor other phytoplankton types over larger diatoms.
Also available for download are two supplementary files of supporting information.
Publication Title
Geophysical Research Letters
Publication Date
2018
Volume
45
Issue
15
First Page
7663
Last Page
7671
ISSN
0094-8276
DOI
10.1029/2018GL077684
Keywords
sea ice, phytoplankton, Chukchi Sea
Repository Citation
Neeley, A. R.; Harris, L. A.; and Frey, K. E., "Unraveling Phytoplankton Community Dynamics in the Northern Chukchi Sea Under Sea-Ice-Covered and Sea-Ice-Free Conditions" (2018). Geography. 198.
https://commons.clarku.edu/faculty_geography/198
Copyright Conditions
Published source must be acknowledged with citation: Neeley, A. R., L. A. Harris, and K. E. Frey. "Unraveling phytoplankton community dynamics in the northern Chukchi Sea under sea‐ice‐covered and sea‐ice‐free conditions." Geophysical Research Letters 45.15 (2018): 7663-7671.
