Abigail McQuatters-Gollop 2015 Plankton

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Update on SW plankton Abigail McQuatters-Gollop, David Johns, George Graham, Rowena Stern SAHFOS, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB E: abiqua@sahfos.ac.uk Climate change is resulting in warming temperatures, declining ocean pH, decreasing sea ice, shifts in biological communities, and alterations to marine physical regimes. At the base of the marine food-web, plankton are tightly linked to their environment and offer insight into pelagic responses to change in the marine system. Understanding of open sea plankton dynamics is crucial for interpreting sub-regional observations in the southwest and aiding the separation of responses to climate from those driven by anthropogenic pressures. Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) data have revealed novel information about shifts in primary production; changes in harmful algal bloom dynamics; alterations to plankton community composition and diversity; phenological changes; biogeographical range shifts; introductions of non-native species; and changes in biodiversity. The taxonomic breadth and long time-series of the CPR survey has also highlighted recent occurrences of unusual plankton taxa in the southwest while the routine deployment of our Water and Microbial Sampler (WaMS) has revealed hidden diversity in the pelagic habitat of the region. The capabilities of the CPR survey are being expanded with the addition of new instrumentation to capture the environmental data required to better understand observed changes in southwest plankton. When combined, CPR research and observational data provide important evidence needed for policy decision making and sustainable management of southwest waters. For more information see: http://www.sahfos.ac.uk/research/publications/annual-report.aspx McQuatters-Gollop, A., Edwards, M., Helaouët, P., Johns, D.G., Owens, N.J.P., Raitsos, D.E., Schroeder, D., Skinner, J. and Stern, R.F., Submitted. The Continuous Plankton Recorder survey: how can long-term phytoplankton datasets deliver Good Environmental Status?. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science.

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Update on SW plankton Abigail McQuatters-Gollop, David Johns, George Graham, Rowena Stern SAHFOS, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB E: abiqua@sahfos.ac.uk Climate change is resulting in warming temperatures, declining ocean pH, decreasing sea ice, shifts in biological communities, and alterations to marine physical regimes. At the base of the marine food-web, plankton are tightly linked to their environment and offer insight into pelagic responses to change in the marine system. Understanding of open sea plankton dynamics is crucial for interpreting sub-regional observations in the southwest and aiding the separation of responses to climate from those driven by anthropogenic pressures. Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) data have revealed novel information about shifts in primary production; changes in harmful algal bloom dynamics; alterations to plankton community composition and diversity; phenological changes; biogeographical range shifts; introductions of non-native species; and changes in biodiversity. The taxonomic breadth and long time-series of the CPR survey has also highlighted recent occurrences of unusual plankton taxa in the southwest while the routine deployment of our Water and Microbial Sampler (WaMS) has revealed hidden diversity in the pelagic habitat of the region. The capabilities of the CPR survey are being expanded with the addition of new instrumentation to capture the environmental data required to better understand observed changes in southwest plankton. When combined, CPR research and observational data provide important evidence needed for policy decision making and sustainable management of southwest waters. For more information see: http://www.sahfos.ac.uk/research/publications/annual-report.aspx McQuatters-Gollop, A., Edwards, M., Helaouët, P., Johns, D.G., Owens, N.J.P., Raitsos, D.E., Schroeder, D., Skinner, J. and Stern, R.F., Submitted. The Continuous Plankton Recorder survey: how can long-term phytoplankton datasets deliver Good Environmental Status?. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science.

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790 views16 pages

Abigail McQuatters-Gollop 2015 Plankton

Uploaded by

Coastal Futures

Description:

Update on SW plankton Abigail McQuatters-Gollop, David Johns, George Graham, Rowena Stern SAHFOS, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB E: abiqua@sahfos.ac.uk Climate change is resulting in warming temperatures, declining ocean pH, decreasing sea ice, shifts in biological communities, and alterations to marine physical regimes. At the base of the marine food-web, plankton are tightly linked to their environment and offer insight into pelagic responses to change in the marine system. Understanding of open sea plankton dynamics is crucial for interpreting sub-regional observations in the southwest and aiding the separation of responses to climate from those driven by anthropogenic pressures. Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) data have revealed novel information about shifts in primary production; changes in harmful algal bloom dynamics; alterations to plankton community composition and diversity; phenological changes; biogeographical range shifts; introductions of non-native species; and changes in biodiversity. The taxonomic breadth and long time-series of the CPR survey has also highlighted recent occurrences of unusual plankton taxa in the southwest while the routine deployment of our Water and Microbial Sampler (WaMS) has revealed hidden diversity in the pelagic habitat of the region. The capabilities of the CPR survey are being expanded with the addition of new instrumentation to capture the environmental data required to better understand observed changes in southwest plankton. When combined, CPR research and observational data provide important evidence needed for policy decision making and sustainable management of southwest waters. For more information see: http://www.sahfos.ac.uk/research/publications/annual-report.aspx McQuatters-Gollop, A., Edwards, M., Helaouët, P., Johns, D.G., Owens, N.J.P., Raitsos, D.E., Schroeder, D., Skinner, J. and Stern, R.F., Submitted. The Continuous Plankton Recorder survey: how can long-term phytoplankton datasets deliver Good Environmental Status?. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science.

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Update on SW plankton

Abigail McQuatters-Gollop, David G.


Johns, George Graham, Rowena F.
Stern

Why monitor plankton?


Produce 50% of worlds oxygen
Key role in carbon cycle
High diversity
Sensitive to climate change
Base of marine food web
Respond quickly to changes in env.

Crucial to
ecosystem
functioning
Clear links
to humans

SAHFOS
Ships of Opportunity
Unchanged methodology (>80 years)
Longest, most spatially extensive
oceanic monitoring program in the
world
~ 1 million samples
6 million nm of ocean
500 plankton taxa + indicator of
phyto biomass
Microplastics
Sample archive

McQuatters-Gollop
et al ICES
2011
Nature
Updated
from Edwards et al (2001)
Journal
of Marine Science

Southwest UK waters

Northeast Atlantic

Diatoms and dinoflagellates

Hinder et al Nature Climate Change

Changes in SW copepods
C. helgolandicus
warm
C. finmarchicus
cold, lipid-rich

Change in quality and quantity of food for


larval fish

OA Changes in calcareous plankton

Beaugrand, McQuatters-Gollop, et al 2013 Nature Climate Change

Beare, McQuatters-Gollop, et al 2013 PLOS ONE

Climate key driver of plankton


dynamics

Goberville et al 2015

Increased taxonomic resolution of


coccolithophores

Acanthoica
quattrospina

Braarudosphaera
bigelowii

Coccolithus pelagicus

Emiliania huxleyi

Rhabdosphaera
claviger

Discosphaera tubifera

Syracosphaera pulchra Scyphosphaera apsteinii

Developing instrumentation programme


4 Routes

10 Routes

Multispectral fluorescence

ARGO standard
Conductivity &
Temperature
Conductivity,
Temperature,
Depth,
Fluorescence

? 02 / pC02

Web-based Visualisations

Water and Microbial Sampler (WaMS)


Revealing new diversity
in small size classes
Complements traditional
CPR sampling
Building a more robust
picture of pelagic
community
Forming a new timeseries!

Taxa in bold in WaMS, rest


are reference taxa

Recent unusual plankton


Neoceratium breve warm-water, mid-Atlantic dinoflagellate, rare in CPR
(Photo scilo.org)
Aetideus actutus warm-water, new to CPR survey
(Photo http://copepodes.obs-banyuls.fr/)

Cyanea lamarckii found near Hull


(Photo Sue Daly via MarLIN)

Recent unusual plankton


Heterophryxus appendiculatus a parasitic isopod
that preys on krill. Recorded near America.
(Photo by Rob Camp)

Distoculus minor 1 mm warm-water harpactacoid,


new to the CPR survey, recorded near New England
(Photo by Astrid Fisher)

CPR data providing evidence


CPR data underpinning target setting and
indicator development for the UKs and
OSPARs implementation of the Marine
Strategy Framework Directive

Key messages
Climate change primary driver of plankton
dynamics in Southwest and North Atlantic
Multi-decadal biological t-s such as the CPR
essential to detecting and understanding
change
New environmental instrumentation and
microbial time-series increasing our
understanding
Data and research crucial for informing policy
and decision making

Thank you!

Abigail McQuatters-Gollop
SAHFOS
abiqua@sahfos.ac.uk
@anaturalstate

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