Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2022-1008
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2022-1008
10 Oct 2022
 | 10 Oct 2022

The contrasted phytoplankton dynamics across a frontal system in the southwestern Mediterranean Sea

Roxane Tzortzis, Andrea M. Doglioli, Stéphanie Barrillon, Anne A. Petrenko, Lloyd Izard, Yuan Zhao, Francesco d'Ovidio, Franck Dumas, and Gérald Gregori

Abstract. Phytoplankton plays a major role in the ocean, being the basis of the marine food web and controlling the biogeochemical cycles. Numerical simulation have shown that finescale structures such as fronts are often suitable places for the generation of vertical velocities, transporting subsurface nutrients to the euphotic zone and thus modulating phytoplankton abundance and community structure. Since several years, observations have concentrated on nutrient fluxes along these structures. Instead, direct in situ estimations of the phytoplankton growth rates are much less numerous; although difficult to obtain, they provide a precious information on the ecosystem functioning. Here, we consider the case of a front separating two water masses characterized by several phytoplankton groups with different abundances, in the southwestern Mediterranean Sea. In order to estimate possible differences in growing rates, we used an adaptive and Lagrangian sampling strategy to measure the phytoplankton diurnal cycle in these two water masses. The use of a size-structured population model was then applied to these data to estimate the growth and division rates for each phytoplankton groups identified by flow cytometry, showing that these two population parameters are significantly different on the two sides of the front, and consistent with the relative abundances. Our results introduce a general method for estimating growth rates at frontal systems, paving the way to in situ exploration of finescale biophysical scenarios.

Journal article(s) based on this preprint

22 Aug 2023
The contrasted phytoplankton dynamics across a frontal system in the southwestern Mediterranean Sea
Roxane Tzortzis, Andrea M. Doglioli, Monique Messié, Stéphanie Barrillon, Anne A. Petrenko, Lloyd Izard, Yuan Zhao, Francesco d'Ovidio, Franck Dumas, and Gérald Gregori
Biogeosciences, 20, 3491–3508, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3491-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3491-2023, 2023
Short summary

Roxane Tzortzis et al.

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2022-1008', Anonymous Referee #1, 23 Nov 2022
    • AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Roxane Tzortzis, 25 Nov 2022
    • AC2: 'Reply on RC1', Roxane Tzortzis, 13 Feb 2023
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2022-1008', Anonymous Referee #2, 26 Dec 2022
    • AC3: 'Reply on RC2', Roxane Tzortzis, 13 Feb 2023

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2022-1008', Anonymous Referee #1, 23 Nov 2022
    • AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Roxane Tzortzis, 25 Nov 2022
    • AC2: 'Reply on RC1', Roxane Tzortzis, 13 Feb 2023
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2022-1008', Anonymous Referee #2, 26 Dec 2022
    • AC3: 'Reply on RC2', Roxane Tzortzis, 13 Feb 2023

Peer review completion

AR: Author's response | RR: Referee report | ED: Editor decision | EF: Editorial file upload
ED: Reconsider after major revisions (18 Feb 2023) by Koji Suzuki
AR by Roxane Tzortzis on behalf of the Authors (22 Apr 2023)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Referee Nomination & Report Request started (30 Apr 2023) by Koji Suzuki
RR by Anonymous Referee #2 (08 May 2023)
ED: Publish subject to minor revisions (review by editor) (23 May 2023) by Koji Suzuki
AR by Roxane Tzortzis on behalf of the Authors (03 Jul 2023)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Publish as is (15 Jul 2023) by Koji Suzuki
AR by Roxane Tzortzis on behalf of the Authors (20 Jul 2023)  Author's response   Manuscript 

Journal article(s) based on this preprint

22 Aug 2023
The contrasted phytoplankton dynamics across a frontal system in the southwestern Mediterranean Sea
Roxane Tzortzis, Andrea M. Doglioli, Monique Messié, Stéphanie Barrillon, Anne A. Petrenko, Lloyd Izard, Yuan Zhao, Francesco d'Ovidio, Franck Dumas, and Gérald Gregori
Biogeosciences, 20, 3491–3508, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3491-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3491-2023, 2023
Short summary

Roxane Tzortzis et al.

Data sets

PROTEVS-MED field experiments: Very High Resolution Hydrographic Surveys in the Western Mediterranean Sea Dumas Franck, Garreau Pierre, Louazel Stephanie, Correard Stephanie, Fercoq Solenn, Le Menn Marc, Serpette Alain, Garnier Valerie, Stegner Alexandre, Le Vu Briac, Doglioli Andrea, Gregori Gerald https://doi.org/10.17882/62352

Roxane Tzortzis et al.

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Short summary
We studied a finescale frontal structure in order to highlight its influence on the dynamics and distribution of the phytoplankton communities. We computed the growth rates of several phytoplankton groups identified by flow cytometry, in two water masses separated by the front. We found contrasted phytoplankton dynamics on the two sides of the front, consistent with the distribution of their abundances. Our study bring new insights on the physical and biological coupling in a finescale front.