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Marine seismic reflection data have been collected for decades and since the mid-to late- 1980s much of this data is positioned relatively accurately. This older data provides a valuable archive, however, it is mainly stored on paper records that do not allow easy integration with other datasets. A method for converting these records to digital SEGY format has been reported previously, although the accuracy and reliability has not been documented. Using 3.5 kHz pinger, bathymetric and side scan sonar data we test the accuracy and data resolution of converted paper seismic records on the surface and shallow-subsurface of the Barra Fan, NE Atlantic Ocean. Frequencies of navigational updates and printed fix marks are vital in determining positional accuracy as interpolation between fixes, which may be 30 minutes apart, is a significant source of potential error. Vertical data resolution of the converted records is primarily governed by the dimensions of the printed record, with order of magnitude differences noted between the scanned BGS and NOC pinger records. Positional accuracy of pinger data is observed to be within the resolution of the bathymetric grid. BGS 1985 pinger data is located within 40 m of bathymetric constrained locations at 635 m below mean sea level and NOC 1998 pinger data within 25 m of bathymetric locations at 1180 m below mean sea level. This paper-to-digital conversion is not a replacement for modern data acquisition, but it does provide a valuable complement to such data. Where appropriate archival paper data is available for conversion it could be used to assist efficiency of forthcoming surveys and may be used to provide time series evidence of seabed processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water column dissolved inorganic carbon and total alkalinity were measured during five hydrographie sections in the Atlantic Ocean and Drake Passage. The work was funded through the Strategic Funding Initiative of the UK's Oceans2025 programme, which ran from 2007 to 2012. The aims of this programme were to establish the regional budgets of natural and anthropogenic carbon in the North Atlantic, the South Atlantic, and the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean, as well as the rates of change of these budgets. This paper describes the dissolved inorganic carbon and total alkalinity data collected along east-west sections at 55-60° N (Arctic Gateway), 24.5° N, and 24° S in the Atlantic and across two Drake Passage sections. Other hydrographic and biogeochemical parameters were measured during these sections, yet are not covered in this paper. Over 95 % of samples taken during the 24.5° N, 24° S, and the Drake Passage sections were analysed onboard and subjected to a 1st level quality control addressing technical and analytical issues. Samples taken during Arctic Gateway were analysed and subjected to quality control back in the laboratory. Complete post-cruise 2nd level quality control was performed using cross-over analysis with historical data in the vicinity of measurements, and data are available through the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center (CDIAC) and are included in the Global Ocean Data Analyses Project, version 2 (GLODAP 2). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In summer 1999, an extensive survey of the tropical Atlantic ocean was operated during the EQUALANT99 cruise. Several experiments were carried out on board including, for the first time in that area, eXpendable Conductivity-Temperature-Depth (XCTD) launches. The aim of this experiment was first to evaluate XCTD temperature and salinity profiles, and secondly to check how XCTD could be used together with altimetric satellite missions in order to capture a good picture of the tropical Atlantic surface circulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Tropical Rainfall Mapping Mission Microwave Imager (TMI) instrument Sea Surface Temperature (SST) product (v1.0) is compared with in situ observations obtained in the Atlantic Ocean. The TMI SST has a mean warm bias of 0.25 K±0.7 K when compared to in situ SST at a depth of 7 m. When TMI SST are compared to in situ skin SST measurements, the bias is 0.6 K±0.5 K. A limited global comparison between TMI SST and co-incident ERS-2 Along-Track Scanning Radiometer (ATSR/2) skin SST demonstrates a bias of 0.6 K±0.6 K consistent with the result obtained using in situ observations. These results are consistent with the predicted accuracy of the TMI SST data products. Based on these results, a simple method to merge the TMI and ATSR data is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SeaWiFS (Sea viewing Wide Field of view Sensor) imagery is used to monitor the birth, development and termination of phytoplankton blooms in the north-east Atlantic. Extensive patches of water giving high reflectance of visible light were observed from the beginning of February to the end of July 1998 in the Celtic and Armorican Shelf regions between 45° and 60° N and interpreted as phytoplankton. Eighteen relatively cloud-free SeaWiFS images have been analysed in order to detect the spatial, temporal and spectral development of the blooms within the two study areas. Consistency of the spectral signature and the very high broadband reflectance leads to the conclusion that these are blooms of the widespread coccolithophore Emiliana huxley , although no in situ data during the study period are available to validate this hypothesis. The utility of SeaWiFS data for studying the life history of phytoplankton blooms is confirmed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structures of the hydrographic fronts separating the Atlantic origin waters from ambient waters in the northern Nordic Seas are discussed. Flows of the western and eastern branches of the West Spitsbergen Current create the Atlantic domain borders and maintain these fronts. The work is based on previous research and on investigations in the project DAMOCLES (Developing Arctic Modeling and Observational Capabilities for Long-term Environmental Studies). Most of the observational data were collected during the R/V Oceania cruises. The main focus of the paper is put on the western border of the Atlantic domain - the Arctic Front, along- and transfrontal transports, the front instability and variability. The baroclinic instability and advection of baroclinic eddies which occurs due to this instability were found as the main transfrontal transport processes. Most of the Atlantic Water transported by the western branch recirculates west and southward. The eastern branch of the West Spitsbergen Current provides most of the Atlantic Water entering the Arctic Ocean. Both processes are very important for the Arctic and global Thermohaline Circulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The knowledge of Green House Gases GHGs fluxes at the air--sea interface at high resolution is crucial to accurately quantify the role of the ocean in the absorption and emission of GHGs. In this paper we present a novel method to reconstruct maps of surface ocean partial pressure of CO2, pCO2, and air--sea CO2 fluxes at super resolution (4 km) using Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and Ocean Colour (OC) data at this resolution, and CarbonTracker CO2 fluxes data at low resolution (110 km). Inference of super-resolution of pCO2, and air--sea CO2 fluxes is performed using novel nonlinear signal processing methodologies that prove efficient in the context of oceanography. The theoretical background comes from the Microcanonical Multifractal Formalism which unlocks the geometrical determination of cascading properties of physical intensive variables. As a consequence, a multiresolution analysis performed on the signal of the so-called singularity exponents allows the correct and near optimal cross-scale inference of GHGs fluxes, as the inference suits the geometric realization of the cascade. We apply such a methodology to the study offshore of the Benguela area. The inferred representation of oceanic partial pressure of CO2 improves and enhances the description provided by CarbonTracker, capturing the small scale variability. We examine different combinations of Ocean Colour and Sea Surface Temperature products in order to increase the number of valid points and the quality of the inferred pCO2 field. The methodology is validated using in-situ measurements by means of statistical errors. We obtain that mean absolute and relative errors in the inferred values of pCO2 with respect to in-situ measurements are smaller than for CarbonTracker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use an eddy-resolving, regional ocean biogeochemical model to investigate the main variables and processes responsible for the climatological spatio-temporal variability of pCO2 and the air-sea CO2 fluxes in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean. Overall, the region acts as sink of atmospheric CO2 south of 30° S, and is close to equilibrium with the atmospheric CO2 to the north. On the shelves, the ocean acts as a weak source of CO2, except for the mid/outer shelves of Patagonia, which act as sinks. In contrast, the inner shelves and the low latitude open ocean of the southwestern Atlantic represent source regions. Observed nearshore-to-offshore and meridional pCO2 gradients are well represented by our simulation. A sensitivity analysis shows the importance of the counteracting effects of temperature and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in controlling the seasonal variability of pCO2. Biological production and solubility are the main processes regulating pCO2, with biological production being particularly important on the shelf regions. The role of mixing/stratification in modulating DIC, and therefore surface pCO2 is shown in a vertical profile at the location of the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) site in the Argentine Basin (42° S, 42° W). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oceans are a net source of molecular hydrogen (H2) to the atmosphere. The production of marine H2 is assumed to be mainly biological by N2 fixation, but photochemical pathways are also discussed. We present measurements of mole fraction and isotopic composition of dissolved and atmospheric H2 from the southern and northern Atlantic between 2008 and 2010. In total almost 400 samples were taken during five cruises along a transect between Punta Arenas (Chile) and Bremerhaven (Germany), as well as at the coast of Mauretania. The isotopic source signatures of dissolved H2 extracted from surface water are highly deuterium-depleted and correlate negatively with temperature, showing dD values of (-629 ± 54) ‰ for water temperatures at (27 ± 3) °C and (-249 ± 88) ‰ below (19 ± 1) °C. The results for warmer water masses are consistent with biological production of H2. This is the first time that marine H2 excess has been directly attributed to biological production by isotope measurements. However, the isotope values obtained in the colder water masses indicate that beside possible biological production a significant different source should be considered. The atmospheric measurements show distinct differences between both hemispheres as well as between seasons. Results from the global chemistry transport model TM5 reproduce the measured H2 mole fractions and isotopic composition well. The climatological global oceanic emissions from the GEMS database are in line with our data and previously published flux calculations. The good agreement between measurements and model results demonstrates that both the magnitude and the isotopic signature of the main components of the marine H2 cycle are in general adequately represented in current atmospheric models despite a proposed source different from biological production or a substantial underestimation of nitrogen fixation by several authors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper provides a basin assessment of the spatial distribution of ocean alkalinity in the Mediterranean Sea. The assessment is made using a 3-D transport-biogeochemical-carbonate model to integrate the available experimental findings, which also constrains model output. The results indicate that the Mediterranean Sea shows alkalinity values that are much higher than those observed in the Atlantic Ocean on a basin-wide scale. A marked west-to-east surface gradient of alkalinity is reproduced as a response to the terrestrial discharges, the mixing effect with the Atlantic water entering from the Gibraltar Strait and the Black Sea water from Dardanelles, and the surface flux of evaporation minus precipitation. Dense water production in marginal seas (Adriatic and Aegean Seas), where alkaline inputs are relevant, and the Mediterranean thermohaline circulation sustains the west-to-east gradient along the entire water column. In the surface layers, alkalinity has a relevant seasonal cycle (up to 40 µmol kg-1) that is driven both by physical and biological processes. A comparison of alkalinity vs. salinity indicates that different regions present different relationships. In regions of freshwater influence, the two measures are negatively correlated due to riverine alkalinity input, whereas they are positively correlated in open seas. Alkalinity always is much higher than in the Atlantic waters, which might indicate a higher than usual buffering capacity towards ocean acidification, even at high concentrations of dissolved inorganic carbon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The carbon fluxes mediated by planktonic communities in two cyclonic eddies (CEs) and two anticyclonic eddies (AEs) at the Canary Eddy Corridor were studied and compared with the dynamics in two far-field (FF) stations located outside the eddies. We observed favorable conditions and signs for upwelling at the center of CEs and for downwelling and mixing at the centers of AEs. CEs were characterized by higher nutrients concentration and highest chlorophyll a concentration, associated with highest microphytoplankton and diatoms abundance. AEs displayed similar chlorophyll a values and nutrients concentration (except highest ammonium concentration) to those of the FF stations and were characterized by increasing abundance of picophytoplankton and heterotrophic bacteria.While primary production was similar between the systems, the production of dissolved organic carbon (PDOC) was significantly higher at AEs. Phytoplankton cell mortality was lowest in CEs and we found higher cell mortality in AE than FF, despite similar chl a concentration. Environmental changes at the AEs presented significant prejudicial effects on the phytoplankton health as indicated by higher phytoplankton mortality (e.g. 60% of dead diatoms cells) and higher cell lysis rates observed at AEs than at two other systems. The adverse conditions associated to the early-stage anticyclonic systems, mainly triggered by active downwelling, resulted in higher consequent PDOC production, corresponding to forcing of the carbon flux to the dissolved pool and a weakness of the carbon pump. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a study which seeks to identify cloud-type resolved cloud radiative budgets and cloud radiative effects from surface measurements of broadband radiative fluxes across the Atlantic Ocean. It performs a radiative closure study using the ECHAM5 single column model in identifying the models ability to reproduce the effects of clouds on the climate system. It creates an extensive data base of radiative and atmospheric measurements.

The article presents a study which investigated the relationship between sea-level gradients and Meridional Overturning Circulation in the Atlantic Ocean. The study examined the type of information regarding the changes in the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) strength that can be obtained from related sea surface height (SSH) changes. It reveals that there was numerically similar and linear associations between the Atlantic's sea-level difference and freshwater's AMOC.

The properties and circulation of water masses are examined using data collected from a hydrographic and Acoustic Doppler Current profiler in the Western Tropical Atlantic during two cruises of the GEOTRACES process study "AMANDES" (AMazon-ANDEans): AMANDES I (October-November 2007) and AMANDES II (January 2008). In the upper layer (from the sea surface to 150 m) means of vertical sections of velocity are showing the structure of the Current (NBC) and North Equatorial Countercurrent. In the lower layer (below 150 m) the subsurface velocity core of the North Brazil UnderCurrent, Western Boundary Undercurrent (WBUC) and northern branch of the South Equatorial Current (nSEC) could be observed. In October the WBUC flows southeastward with a velocity of about 0.3 m s-1. In the studied area during October 2007, the NBUC and nSEC are transporting South Atlantic Central Water (SACW) from the Southern Hemisphere whereas the WBUC transports North Atlantic Central Water (NACW) southeastward. In the deep layers, the North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) is composed of three components: the Upper North Atlantic Deep Water -- UNADW (between 1310 and 1650 m), the Middle North Atlantic Deep Water (between 1930 and 2400 m), the Lower North Atlantic Deep Water (centered around 3430 m). Off Guyana, the Antartic Intermediate Water (AAIW) changes of composition between October 2007 (45.2% ACW, 32.2% AAIWsource and 22.6% UNADW) and January 2008 (62.4% ACW, 23.5% AAIWsource and 14.1% UNADW). These intermediate waters are significantly warmer, less oxygenated and saltier than their southern source, reflecting both oxygen consumption and mixing with the Atlantic Central Water (ACW) and the Upper North Atlantic Deep Water during their northward transit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes an efficient and unique method for computing the shortwave direct radiative effect (DRE) of aerosol residing above low-level liquid-phase clouds using CALIOP and MODIS data. It accounts for the overlapping of aerosol and cloud rigor- ously by utilizing the joint histogram of cloud optical depth and cloud top pressure. Effects of sub-grid scale cloud and aerosol variations on DRE are accounted for. It is computationally efficient through using grid-level cloud and aerosol statistics, instead of pixel-level products, and a pre-computed look-up table in radiative transfer calculations. We verified that for smoke over the southeast Atlantic Ocean the method yields a sea sonal mean instantaneous shortwave DRE that generally agrees with more rigorous pixel-level computation within 4 %. We have also computed the annual mean instantaneous shortwave DRE of light-absorbing aerosols (i.e., smoke and polluted dust) over global ocean based on 4 yr of CALIOP and MODIS data. We found that the variability of the annual mean shortwave DRE of above-cloud light-absorbing aerosol is mainly driven by the optical depth of the underlying clouds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents the quantitative study of climatological distributions of mid-depth SourceWater Types in the NE Atlantic by the Optimum Multiparameter analysis (OMP), merging a number of regional results from particular synoptic sections. The cores of the Mediterranean Water (MW), the modified Antarctic Intermediate Water (mAAIW) and the Subarctic Intermediate Water (SAIW) are detected and spatial variations of their depth/density are obtained: as expected, spreading of the source water types is predominantly isopycnic and follows the major mid-depth circulation patterns. In some areas the turbulent transport should also be considered. The MW in the Atlantic spreads as 3 cores of different density: the upper MW core (northwest of the first transition line between 28° W, 35° N and 14° W, 44° N) is found in the neutral density range of 27.65-27.70 kg m-3 and depths of 900-1000 m; the main MW core (northwest of the second transition line between 35° W, 28° N and 10° W, 37° N) has neutral density around 27.75 kg m-3 and is found at 1000-1100 m; the lower MW core (southeast of the second transition) has neutral density around 27.80 kg m-3 and is found at 1250-1350 m. The upper MW core has comparatively low MW contents (below 30%) and is speculated to be transported by the mean flow from the northern Iberian Peninsula and the Bay of Biscay to the northern Azores. The main MW core contains the most of the MW. It primarily originates from the MUC between Cape St. Vincent and Estremadura Promontory, where the strongest local decrease of the topographic ß-effect is detected and is transported west by a flow at around 39° N. The lower MW core originates in the Gulf of Cadiz and is translated southwestwards by dominating flows. The SAIW (the core between 27.70 and 27.75 kg m-3) is found to spread south along both slopes of the MAR. The SAIW east of the MAR mixes with the upper and the main MW cores and re-circulates in a cyclonic gyre at 15-25° W and 34-39° N as far south as the Azores Current. The northernmost spreading limit of the mAAIW (the core between 27.60 and 27.65 kg m-3) is at 25-29° N, but its influence reaches 32° N east and west of the Canary Islands. Its maximum concentration is found south of the Canaries, from where the mAAIW is transported westwards, parallel to the westward transport of the deep fraction of the MW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The polar front separates the warm and saline AtlanticWaters encountered in the western part of the Barents Sea from the cold and fresh Arctic Waters situated in the northern part. These water masses can mix together, mainly in the eastern part of the Barents Sea, generating dense waters in winter which can cascade into the Arctic Ocean to form the Artic Intermediate Waters. To study the interannual variability and evolution of these water masses and the fronts, we have merged data from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea and the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute and have built a new database which covers the period 1980-2011. The summer data is interpolated on a regular grid and a "Probability Density Function" method is used to show that the polar front splits into two branches east of 32° E where the topographic constraint weakens. Two fronts can then be defined: the "Northern Polar Front" is associated with strong salinity gradients and the "Southern Polar Front" with temperature gradients. They enclose the dense Barents SeaWater. The interannual variability of the 15 water masses is apparent in the observed data and is linked to that of the ice cover. In contrast, the link with the Arctic Oscillation is not clear. However, results from a general circulation model suggest that such a link could be found if winter data were taken into account. A strong trend, which amplifies during the last decade, is also found: the AtlanticWater occupies a larger volume of the Barents Sea. This "Atlantification" could be accompanied by a northwards displacement of the southern polar front in the eastern part of the Barents Sea (which is suggested by a model based study) and a decrease of the volume occupied by the Arctic Waters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The North Atlantic Ocean experiences considerable variability in sea surface temperature (SST, > 10m) on seasonal and inter-annual time-scales. Relationships between SST and vertical density stratification, nutrient concentrations, and phytoplankton biomass, composition, and absorption were assessed in spring and summer from latitudes 30-62° N. Furthermore, a bio-optical model was used to estimate productivity for five phytoplankton groups. Nutrient concentration (integrated from 0-125m) was inversely correlated with SST in spring and summer. SST was also inversely correlated with near surface (0-50m) Chl a and productivity for stratified stations. However, near surface Chl a showed an exponential relationship with SST, whereas a linear relationship was found for productivity and SST. The response of phytoplankton to changes in SST is therefore most likely to be observed by changes in Chl a rather than productivity. The discrepancy between relationships of Chl a and productivity were probably related to changes in phytoplankton cell size. The contribution of cyanobacteria to water column productivity correlated positively with SST and inversely with nutrient concentration. This suggests that a rise in SST (over a 13-23 ° C range) stimulates productivity by cyanobacteria at the expense of haptophytes, which showed an inverse relationship to SST. At higher latitudes, where rising SST may prolong the stratified season, haptophyte productivity may expand at the expense of diatom productivity. Depth integrated Chl a (0-410m) was greatest in the spring at higher latitudes, where stratification in the upper 200m was weakest. This suggests that stronger stratification does not necessarily result in higher phytoplankton biomass standing stock in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meddies, intra-thermocline eddies of Mediterranean water, are often visible at the sea surface as positive sea-level anomalies. Here we study the surface signature of several meddies tracked with RAFOS floats and AVISO altimetry. Then, theoretical estimates of the surface signature of a meddy are derived, based on geostrophy and potential vorticity balance. The intensity of the surface signature is proportional to the meddy core radius and to the Coriolis parameter, and inversely proportional to the core depth and buoyancy frequency. This indicates that surface signature of a meddy may be strongly reduced by the upper ocean stratification. Estimates suggest that the southernmost limit for detection in altimetry of small meddies (with radii on the order of km) should lie in the northern subtropics, while large meddies (with radii of 25-30 km) could be detected as far south as the northern tropics. During the initial period of meddy acceleration after meddy formation or a stagnation stage, a cyclonic signal also is generated at the sea-surface, but mostly the anticyclonic surface signal follows the meddy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxygen-deficient waters in the ocean, generally referred to as oxygen minimum zones (OMZ), are expected to expand as a consequence of global climate change. Poor oxygenation is promoting microbial loss of inorganic nitrogen (N) and increasing release of sediment-bound phosphate (P) into the water column. These intermediate water masses, nutrient-loaded but with an N deficit relative to the canonical N : P Redfield ratio of 16 : 1, are transported via coastal upwelling into the euphotic zone. To test the impact of nutrient supply and nutrient stoichiometry on production, partitioning and elemental composition of phytoplankton-derived dissolved (DOC, DON, DOP) and particulate (POC, PON, POP) organic matter, three nutrient enrichment experiments were conducted with natural phytoplankton communities in shipboard mesocosms, during research cruises in the tropical waters of the South East Pacific and the North East Atlantic. Maximum accumulation of POC and PON was observed under high N supply conditions, indicating that primary production was controlled by N availability. The stoichiometry of photoautotrophic biomass was unaffected by nutrient N : P supply during exponential growth under nutrient saturation, while it was highly variable under conditions of nutrient limitation and closely correlated to the N : P supply ratio, although PON : POP of accumulated phytoplankton generally exceeded the supply ratio. Phytoplankton N : P composition was constrained by a general lower limit of 5 : 1. Channelling of assimilated P into DOP appears to be the mechanism responsible for the consistent offset of cellular stoichiometry relative to inorganic nutrient supply and nutrient drawdown, as DOP build-up was observed to intensify under decreasing N : P supply. Low nutrient N : P conditions in coastal upwelling areas overlying O2-deficient waters seem to represent a net source for DOP, which may stimulate growth of diazotrophic phytoplankton. These results demonstrate that microalgal nutrient assimilation and partitioning of phytoplankton-derived organic matter between the particulate and the dissolved phase are controlled by the N : P ratio of upwelled nutrients, implying substantial consequences for nutrient cycling and organic matter pools in the course of decreasing nutrient N : P stoichiometry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small-scale temperature and conductivity variations have been measured in the upper 100m of the Northeast Atlantic during the STRATIPHYT-II cruise (Las Palmas- Reykjavik, 6 April-3 May 2011). The measurements were done at midday and comprised 2 to 15 vertical profiles at each station. The derived turbulent quantities show a transition between weakly-stratified and well-mixed waters, which was centered at about 48° N. The temperature eddy diffusivities, KT, range from 10-5 to 100 m2 s-1 in the weakly-stratified stations, and range from 3×10-4 to 2×100 m2 s-1 in the wellmixed stations. The turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rates, ", range from 3×10-8 to 2×10-6 m2 s-3 south of the transition zone, and from 10-7 to 10-5 m2 s-3 north of it. The station-averaged KT values throughout the mixed layer increase exponentially with the wind speed. The station-averaged " values throughout the mixed layer scale with the wind stress similarity variable, u3./(-kz), with a scaling factor of about 1.8 in the wind-dominated stations. The values of KT and " are about 10 times higher compared to the values measured at the same stations in July 2009. The results presented here constitute a unique data set giving large spatial coverage of upper ocean spring turbulence quantities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We assess the role of riverine inputs of N, Si, Fe, organic and inorganic C in the tropical Atlantic Ocean using a global ocean biogeochemistry model. We use two sensitivity tests to investigate the role of the western (South American Rivers) and eastern (African Rivers) riverine nutrient inputs on the tropical Atlantic Ocean biogeochemistry (between 20° S-20° N and 70° W-20°). Increased nutrient availability from river inputs in this area (compared to an extreme scenario with no river nutrients) leads to an increase in 14% (0.7 PgCa-1) in open ocean primary production (PP), and 21% (0.2 PgCa-1) in coastal ocean PP. We estimate very modest increases in open and coastal ocean export production and sea-air CO2 fluxes. Results suggest that in the tropical Atlantic Ocean, the large riverine nutrient inputs on the western side have a larger impact on primary production and sea-air CO2 exchanges. On the other hand, African river inputs, although smaller than South American inputs, have larger impact on the coastal and open tropical Atlantic Ocean export production. This is probably due to a combination of nutrient trapping in upwelling areas off the Congo River outflow, and differences in delivered nutrient ratios leading to alleviation in limitation conditions mainly for diatoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluxes of organic and inorganic carbon within the Amazon basin are considerably controlled by annual flooding, which triggers the export of terrigenous organic material to the river and ultimately to the Atlantic Ocean. The amount of carbon imported to the river and the further conversion, transport and export of it, depend on terrestrial productivity and discharge, as well as temperature and atmospheric CO2. Both terrestrial productivity and discharge are influenced by climate and land use change. To assess the impact of these changes on the riverine carbon dynamics, the coupled model system of LPJmL and RivCM (Langerwisch et al., 2015) has been used. Vegetation dynamics (in LPJmL) as well as export and conversion of terrigenous carbon to and within the river (RivCM) are included. The model system has been applied for the years 1901 to 2099 under two deforestation scenarios and with climate forcing of three SRES emission scenarios, each for five climate models. The results suggest that, following deforestation, riverine particulate and dissolved organic carbon will strongly decrease by up to 90 % until the end of the current century. In parallel, discharge increases, leading to roughly unchanged net carbon transport during the first decades of the century, as long as a sufficient area is still forested. During the following decades the amount of transported carbon will decrease drastically. In contrast to the riverine organic carbon, the amount of riverine inorganic carbon is only determined by climate change forcing, namely increased temperature and atmospheric CO2 concentration. Mainly due to the higher atmospheric CO2 it leads to an increase in riverine inorganic carbon by up to 20 % (SRES A2). The changes in riverine carbon fluxes have direct effects on the export of carbon, either to the atmosphere via outgassing, or to the Atlantic Ocean via discharge. Basin-wide the outgassed carbon will increase slightly, but can be regionally reduced by up to 60 % due to deforestation. The discharge of organic carbon to the ocean will be reduced by about 40 % under the most severe deforestation and climate change scenario. The changes would have local and regional consequences on the carbon balance and habitat characteristics in the Amazon basin itself but also in the adjacent Atlantic Ocean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stable carbon isotope composition of dissolved inorganic carbon (δ13CDIC) in seawater was measured in samples collected during two cruises in the Northeastern Atlantic and Nordic Seas from June to August 2012. One cruise was part of the UK Ocean Acidification research programme, and the other was a repeat hydrographic transect of the Extended Ellett Line. In combination with measurements made of various other variables on these and other cruises, these data can be used to constrain the anthropogenic component of DIC in the interior ocean, and also assist in determining the influence of biological carbon uptake on surface ocean carbonate chemistry. The measurements have been processed, quality-controlled and submitted to an in-preparation global compilation of seawater δ13CDIC data, and are available from the British Oceanographic Data Centre. The observed δ13CDIC values fall in a range from -0.58 to +2.37%0, relative to the Vienna Peedee Belemnite standard. From duplicate samples collected during both cruises, the precision for the 552 results is 0.07‰, which is similar to other published studies of this kind. Data doi:10.5285/09760a3a-c2b5-250b-e053-6c86abc037c0 (Northeastern Atlantic), doi:10.5285/09511dd0-51db-0e21-e053-6c86abc09b95 (Nordic Seas). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a feasibility study, the potential of proxy data for the temperature and salinity during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, about 19 000 to 23 000 yr before present) in constraining the strength of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) in a general ocean circulation model was explored. The proxy data were simulated by drawing data from four different model simulations at the ocean sediment core locations of the Multiproxy Approach for the Reconstruction of the Glacial Ocean surface (MARGO) project and perturbing these data with realistic noise estimates. The results suggest that our method has the potential of providing estimates of the past strength of the AMOC even from sparse data, but in general paleo-sea surface temperature data without additional prior knowledge about the ocean state during the LGM is not adequate to constrain the model. On the one hand, additional salinity data in the deep ocean and at the sea surface are shown to be highly important in estimating the LGM circulation and as expected, reducing proxy-data errors improves the solutions. Whereas increasing the amount of surface data alone does not appear to be enough for better estimates. Finally, better initial guesses to start the state estimation procedure from greatly improve the performance of the method. Indeed, with a sufficiently good first guess, just the sea-surface temperature data from the MARGO project appear sufficient for reliable estimates of the strength of the AMOC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mediterranean is a semi-enclosed sea characterized by high salinities, temperatures and densities. The net evaporation exceeds the precipitation, driving an antiestuarine circulation through the Strait of Gibraltar, contributing to very low nutrient concentrations. The Mediterranean Sea has an active overturning circulation, one shallow cell that communicates directly with the Atlantic Ocean, and two deep overturning cells, one in each of the two main basins. It is surrounded by populated areas and is thus sensitive to anthropogenic forcing. Several dramatic changes in the oceanographic and biogeochemical conditions have been observed during the past several decades, 10 emphasising the need to better monitor and understand the changing conditions and their drivers. During 2011 three oceanographic cruises were conducted in a coordinated fashion in order to produce base-line data of important physical and biogeochemical parameters that can be compared to historic data and be used as reference for future observational campaigns. In this article we provide information on the Mediterranean Sea oceanographic situation, and present a short review that will serve as background information for the special issue in Ocean Science on "Physical, chemical and biological oceanography of the Mediterranean Sea". An important contribution of this article is the set of figures showing the large-scale distributions of physical and chemical properties along the full length of the Mediterranean Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bridging the Atlantic and Mediterranean continental margins, the South Iberian region has recently been the focus for geological and biological investigations. The Gulf of Cadiz (GoC) encompasses a great variety of deep-sea habitats that harbour highly diverse biological communities. In this study, we describe the taxa composition of gastropod assemblages from deep-sea habitats in the GoC and analyse the species disributional patterns in relation to their dispersal capabilities and substrate availability. Distinct gastropod assemblages were found at mud volcanoes, carbonate and coral sites, and organic-falls. Overall, the GoC comprises a high diversity of gastropods that include 65 taxa representing 32 families, 48 genera and 30 named species. The highest number of taxa was found at the highly heterogeneous carbonate province in the middle slope (500--1500m depth), and higher abundance of individuals was observed in Captain Arutyunov mud volcano, one of the most active sites found in the GoC. Faunal similarities were found with Mediterreanean cold-seeps (species- and genus-level) and other chemosynthetic environments in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans (genus-level). Colonization experiments with organic substrata (wood and alfalfa grass) yielded high abundances of gastropod species. These organic inputs allowed the recruitment of local species but also of wood specialist taxa that were not known to occur in the GoC. Our results suggest that distribution of gastropod assemblages may be primarily determined by the occurrence of suitable habitats probably due to effect of the substrate type on feeding strategies and that larval development is not a limiting factor for colonizaion of the deep sea. However, the predominance of non-planktotrophy, and especially lecithotrophy, suggests that the trade-o? between a more limited dispersal capability and the higher potential for self-recruitment may be favoured by the gastropod species inhabiting reducing environments and other patchily distributed deep-sea habitats. A network of suitable habitats that ensures connectivity of effective populations would explain the predominance and relatively wide distribution of short-distance dispersing non-planktotrophic species at the GoC deep-sea habitats and other geographical regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work aims at characterising the seamount physiography and biology in the OSPAR Convention limits (North-East Atlantic Ocean) and Mediterranean Sea. We first inferred potential abundance, location and morphological characteristics of seamounts, and secondly, summarized the existing biological, geological and oceanographic in-situ research, identifying examples of well-studied seamounts. Our study showed that the seamount population in the OSPAR area (North-East Atlantic) and in Mediterranean Sea is large with around 1061 and 202 seamount-like features, respectively. Similarly, seamounts occupy large areas of about 1 116 000 km² in the OSPAR region and of about 184 000 km² in the Mediterranean Sea, which is much larger than previously thought. The presence of seamounts in the North-East Atlantic has been known since the late 19th Century but overall knowledge regarding seamount ecology and geology is still relatively poor. Only 37 seamounts in the OSPAR area (3.5% of all seamounts in the region), 22 in the Mediterranean Sea (9.2% of all seamounts in the region) and 25 in the North-East Atlantic south of the OSPAR have in-situ information. Seamounts mapped in both areas are in general very heterogeneous, showing diverse geophysical characteristics. These differences will likely affect the biological diversity and production of resident and associated organisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite being an abundant group of significant ecological importance the phylogenetic relationships of the Octocorallia remain poorly understood and very much understudied. We used 1132 bp of two mitochondrial protein-coding genes, nad2 and mtMutS (previously referred to as msh1), to construct a phylogeny for 161 octocoral specimens from the Atlantic, including both Isididae and non-Isididae species. We found that four clades were supported using a concatenated alignment. Two of these (A and B) were in general agreement with the of Holaxonia--Alcyoniina and Anthomastus--Corallium clades identified by previous work. The third and fourth clades represent a split of the Calcaxonia--Pennatulacea clade resulting in a clade containing the Pennatulacea and a small number of Isididae specimens and a second clade containing the remaining Calcaxonia. When individual genes were considered nad2 largely agreed with previous work with MtMutS also producing a fourth clade corresponding to a split of Isididae species from the Calcaxonia--Pennatulacea clade. It is expected these difference are a consequence of the inclusion of Isisdae species that have undergone a gene inversion in the mtMutS gene causing their separation in the MtMutS only tree. The fourth clade in the concatenated tree is also suspected to be a result of this gene inversion, as there were very few Isidiae species included in previous work tree and thus this separation would not be clearly resolved. A larger phylogeny including both Isididae and non Isididae species is required to further resolve these clades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ocean deoxygenation has been observed in all major ocean basins over the past 50 yr. Although this signal is largely consistent with oxygen changes expected from anthropogenic climate change, the contribution of external forcing to recent deoxygenation trends relative to natural internal variability is yet to be established. Here we conduct a formal optimal fingerprinting analysis to investigate if external forcing has had a detectable influence on observed dissolved oxygen concentration ([O2]) changes between ~ 1970 and ~ 1992 using simulations from two Earth System Models (MPIESM- LR and HadGEM2-ES). We detect a response to external forcing at a 90% confidence level and find that observed [O2] changes are inconsistent with internal variability as simulated by models. This result is robust in the global ocean for depth-averaged (1-D) zonal mean patterns of [O2] change in both models. Further analysis with the MPI-ESM-LR model shows similar positive detection results for depth-resolved (2-D) zonal mean [O2] changes globally and for the Pacific Ocean individually. Observed oxygen changes in the Atlantic Ocean are indistinguishable from natural internal variability. Simulations from both models consistently underestimate the amplitude of historical [O2] changes in response to external forcing, suggesting that model projections for future ocean deoxygenation may also be underestimated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Atlantic and Arctic oceans are critical components of the global carbon cycle. Here we quantify the net sea-air CO2 flux, for the first time, across different methodologies for consistent time and space scales, for the Atlantic and Arctic basins. We present the long-term mean, seasonal cycle, interannual variability and trends in sea-air CO2 flux for the period 1990 to 2009, and assign an uncertainty to each. We use regional cuts from global observations and modelling products, specifically a pCO2- based CO2 flux climatology, flux estimates from the inversion of oceanic and atmospheric data, and results from six ocean biogeochemical models. Additionally, we use basin-wide flux estimates from surface ocean pCO2 observations based on two distinct methodologies. Our best estimate of the contemporary sea-to-air flux of CO2 (sum of anthropogenic and natural components) by the Atlantic between 40° S and 79° N is -0.49±0.11 PgCyr -1 and by the Arctic is -0.12±0.06 PgCyr -1 , leading to a combined sea-to-air flux of -0.61±0.12 PgCyr -1 for the two decades (negative reflects ocean uptake). We do find broad agreement amongst methodologies with respect to the seasonal cycle in the subtropics of both hemispheres, but not elsewhere. Agreement with respect to detailed signals of interannual variability is poor; and correlations to the North Atlantic Oscillation are weaker in the North Atlantic and Arctic than in the equatorial region and South Subtropics. Linear trends for 1995 to 2009 indicate increased uptake and generally correspond between methodologies in the North Atlantic, but there is disagreement amongst methodologies in the equatorial region and South Subtropics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing concentrations of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in the interior ocean is expected as a direct consequence of increasing concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere. This extra DIC is often referred to as anthropogenic carbon (Cant), and its inventory, or increase rate, in the interior ocean has previously been estimated by a multitude of observational approaches. Each of these methods are associated with hard to test assumptions since Cant cannot be directly observed. Results from a simpler concept with few assumptions applied to the Atlantic Ocean are reported on here using two large data collections of carbon relevant bottle data. The change in column inventory on decadal time scales, i.e. the storage rate, of DIC, respiration compensated DIC and oxygen is calculated for the Atlantic Ocean. The average storage rates for DIC and oxygen is calculated to 0.72±1.22 (95% confidence interval of the mean trend: 0.65-0.78) molm-2 yr-1 and -0.54±1.64 (95% confidence interval of the mean trend: -0.64-(-0.45)) molm-2 yr-1 , respectively, for the Atlantic Ocean, where the uncertainties reflect station-to-station variability and where the mean trends are non-zero at the 95% confidence level. The standard deviation mainly reflects uncertainty due to regional variations, whereas the confidence interval reflects the mean trend. The storage rates are similar to changes found by other studies, although with large uncertainty. For the subpolar North Atlantic the storage rates show significant temporal variation of all variables. This seems to be due to variations in the prevalence of subsurface water masses with different DIC concentrations leading to sometimes different signs of storage rates for DIC and Cant . This study suggest that accurate assessment of the uptake of CO2 by the oceans will require accounting not only for processes that influence Cant but also additional processes that modify CO2 storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A surface to bottom North-East Atlantic Ocean budget for mass, nutrients (nitrate and phosphate) and oxygen is determined using an optimization method based on climatological data from the World Ocean Atlas 2009 and three surveys of the OVIDE transect (from Greenland to Portugal). Budgets are derived for two communicating boxes representing the North Eastern European Basin (NEEB) and the Irminger Sea. For the NEEB (Irminger) box, it is found that 30% of the mass import (export) across the OVIDE section reach (originate from) the Nordic Seas while 70% is redistributed between both boxes through the Reykjanes Ridge (9.3 ± 0.7 x 109 kg s-1). Net biological source/sink terms of nitrate point to both the Irminger and NEEB boxes as net organic matter production sites (consumming nitrate at a rate of -7.8 ± 6.5 kmol s-1 and -8.4 ± 6.6 kmol s-1 respectively). Using a standard Redfield ratio of C:N= 106:16, nitrate consumption rates indicate that about 40 TgC yr-1 of carbon is fixed by organic matter production between the OVIDE transect and the Greenland-Scotland Ridge. Nutrients fluxes also induce a net biological production of oxygen of 73 ± 60 kmol s-1 and 79 ± 62 kmol s-1 in the Irminger and NEEB boxes which points to the region as being autotrophic. Air-sea oxygen fluxes show an oceanic oxygen uptake in the two regions (264 ± 66 kmol s-1 in the north and 443 ± 70 kmol s-1 in the south), dominated by the abiotic component. The abiotic flux is partitionned into a mixing and a thermal components. It is found that the Irminger Sea oceanic oxygen uptake is driven by an air-sea heat flux cooling increasing the ocean surface oxygen solubility. Over the North Eastern European Basin the mixing component is about half the thermal flux, presumably because of the oxygen minimum in the subtropical thermocline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive synoptic datasets (surface water down to 4000m) of dissolved cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), lead (Pb) and silver (Ag) are presented along a section between 34 °S and 57 °S in the southeastern Atlantic Ocean and the Southern Ocean to the south of South Africa. The vertical distributions of Cu, Ag, and of Cd display nutrient-like profiles similar to silicic acid, and phosphate, respectively. The distribution of Mn shows a subsurface maximum in the oxygen minimum zone, whereas Pb concentrations are rather invariable with depth. Dry deposition of aerosols is thought to be an important source of Pb to surface waters close to South Africa, and dry deposition and snowfall may have been significant sources of Cu and Mn at the higher latitudes. Furthermore, the advection of water-masses enriched in trace metals following contact with continental margins appeared to be an important source of trace elements to the surface, intermediate and deep waters in the southeastern Atlantic Ocean and the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. Hydrothermal inputs appeared to have formed a source of trace metals to the deep waters over the Bouvet Triple Junction ridge crest, as suggested by relatively enhanced dissolved Mn concentrations. The biological utilization of Cu and Ag was proportional to that of silicic acid across the section, suggesting that diatoms formed an important control over the removal of Cu and Ag from surface waters. However uptake by dino- and nano-flagelattes may have influenced the distribution of Cu and Ag in the surface waters of the subtropical Atlantic domain. Cadmium correlated strongly with phosphate (P), yielding lower Cd/P ratios in the subtropical surface waters where phosphate concentrations were below 0.95 µM. The greater depletion of Cd relative to P observed in the Weddell Gyre compared to the Antarctic Circumpolar Current could be due to increase Cd-uptake induced by iron-limiting conditions in these High-Nutrient Low-Chlorophyll waters. Similarly, an increase of Mn uptake under Fe-depleted conditions may have caused the highest depletion of Mn relative to P in surface waters of the Weddell Gyre. In addition, a cellular Mn-transport channel of Cd was possibly activated in the Weddell Gyre, which in turn may have yielded depletion of both Mn and Cd in these surface waters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the Bonus-GoodHope (BGH) expedition (Jan-Mar 2008) we studied the water column distribution of total 234Th and biogenic particulate Ba (Baxs) in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean. The objective was to assess the export flux of particulate organic carbon (POC) from the surface to the mesopelagic twilight zone along a section between the Cape Basin and Weddell Gyre. Export production of POC was estimated from steady state and non steady state export fluxes of 234Th which were converted into POC ?uxes, using the POC/234Th ratio of large (>53 µm) suspended particles, collected via in-situ pumps. Deficits in 234Th activities were observed at all stations from the surface to the bottom of the mixed- layer. 234Th export fluxes from the upper 100m ranged from 496±57 dpm m-2 d-1 to 1195±120 dpm m-2 d-1 for the steady state model and from 149±18 dpm m-2 d-1 to 1217±146 dpm m-2 d-1 for the non steady state model calculated for a time window of 15 to 22 days preceding the timing of the present cruise. The POC/234Thp ratio of large, potentially sinking particles (>53 µm), was observed to increase with latitude, from 1.9±0.2 µmol dpm-1 and 1.7±0.3 µmol dpm-1 in the Subtropical Zone (STZ) and Subantarctic Zone (SAZ), respectively, to 3.0±0.2 µmol dpm in the Polar Front Zone (PFZ), 4.8±1.9 µmol dpm-1 at the Southern Antarctic Circumpolar Current Front (SACCF) to 4.1±1.7 µmol dpm in the northern Weddell Gyre, in line with an increasing contribution of larger cell diatoms. Steady state and non steady state POC export from the upper 100m ranged from 0.9±0.2mmolC m-2 d to 5.1±2.1mmolC m-2 d-1 and from 0.3±0.0mmolC m-2 d-1 to 4.9±3.2mmolC m-2 d-1 , respectively. From the SAZ to the SACCF, non steady state POC export production represented only 15 to 54% of the steady state POC flux, suggesting that the intensity of export had decreased over time partly due to the fact that regenerated-production based communities of small-sized phytoplankton became predominant. In contrast, for the HNLC area south of the SACCF, we found an excellent agreement between the two modeling approaches indicating that surface POC export remained rather constant there. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The organic speciation of dissolved cobalt was investigated in the subtropical region of the southeastern Atlantic, and in the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) and the northern Weddell Gyre in the Southern Ocean between 33°58' S and 57°33' S along the Greenwich Meridian during the austral summer of 2008. The organic speciation of cobalt was determined by Competing Ligand Exchange Adsorptive Cathodic Stripping Voltammetry (CLE-AdCSV) using nioxime as a competing ligand. The conditional stability constants (log K'CoL ) of the organic complexes of Co ranged between 17.9 and 20.1, and the concentrations of the organic ligands (L) between 26 and 73 pM. Most dissolved cobalt (DCo) was organically complexed in the water-column (60 to ≥99.9%). There were clear vertical and meridional patterns in the distribution of L and the organic speciation of DCo along the section. These patterns suggested a biological source of the organic ligands in the surface waters of the subtropical domain and northern subantarctic region, potentially driven by the cyanobacteria, and a removal of the organic Co by direct or indirect biological uptake. The highest L:DCo ratio (e.g. 5.81±1.07 pM pM-1) observed in these surface waters reflected the combined effects of ligand production and consumption of DCo. As a result of these combined effects, the calculated concentrations of free, unbound Co ([Co']) in subtropical and subantarctic surface waters were very low, generally between 10-19 and 10-17 M. In intermediate and deep waters, the South African margins can be a source of organic ligands, as it was suggested to be for DCo (Bown et al., 2011), although a significant portion of DCo (up to 15%) can be stabilized and transported as inorganic species in those DCo-enriched water-masses. Contrastingly, the distribution of L did not suggest an intense biological production of L around the Antarctic Polar Front where a diatom bloom had recently occurred. Here [Co'] can be several orders of magnitude higher than those reported in the subtropical domain, suggesting that cobalt limitation was unlikely in the ACC domain. The almost invariant L:DCo ratio of ~1 recorded in these surface waters also reflected the conservative behaviours of both the organic ligands and DCo. In deeper waters relatively higher ligand concentrations were observed in waters previously identi?ed as DCo sources (Bown et al., 2011). At those depths the eastward increase of DCo could be associated with a large scale transport and remineralisation of DCo as organic complexes; here, the fraction stabilized as inorganic Co was much lower but still significant (up to 25%) in the low oxygenated Upper Circumpolar Deep Waters. The organic speciation may thus be a central factor in the biogeochemical cycle of DCo in those areas, playing a major role in the bioavailability and the geochemistry of Co. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of oceanographic operational centers use three-dimensional data assimilation schemes to produce reanalyses. We investigate here the benefits of a smoother, i.e. a four-dimensional formulation of statistical assimilation. A square-root sequen- tial smoother is implemented with a tropical Atlantic ocean circulation model. A simple twin experiment is performed to investigate its benefits, compared to its corresponding filter. Results show that the smoother leads to a better estimation of the ocean state, both on statistical (i.e. mean error level) and dynamical point of view. Smoothed states are more in phase with the dynamics of the reference state, an aspect that is nicely illustrated with the chaotic dynamics of the north-Brazil rings. We also show that the smoother efficiency is strongly related to the filter configuration. One of the main obstacles to implement the smoother is then to accurately estimate the error covariances of the filter. Considering this, benefits of the smoother are also investigated with a configuration close to situations that can be managed by operational centers systems, where covariances matrices are fixed (optimal interpolation). We define here a simplified smoother scheme, called half-fixed basis smoother, that could be implemented with current reanalysis schemes. Its main assumption is to neglect the propagation of the error covariances matrix, what leads to strongly reduce the cost of assimilation. Results illustrate the ability of this smoother to provide a solution more consistent with the dynamics, compared to the filter. The smoother is also able to produce analyses independently of the observation frequency, so the smoothed solution appears more continuous in time, especially in case of a low frenquency observation network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An ocean data assimilation system to assimilate Argo temperature (T) and salinity (S) profiles into HYCOM was constructed, implemented and evaluated for the first time in the Atlantic Ocean (78° S to 50° N and 98° W to 20° E). The system is based on the Ensemble Optimal Interpolation (EnOI) algorithm proposed by Xie and Zhu (2010), especially made to deal with the hybrid nature of HYCOM vertical coordinate system with multiple steps. The Argo T/S profiles were projected to the model vertical space to create pseudo-observed layer thicknesses (Δpobs) which correspond to the model target densities. The first step was to assimilate Δpobs considering the sub-state vector composed by the model layer thickness (Δp) and the baroclinic velocity components. After that, T and S were assimilated separately. At last, T was diagnosed below the mixed layer to preserve the density of the model isopycnal layers. Five experiments were performed from 1 January 2010 until 31 December 2012: a control run without assimilation, and four assimilation runs considering different vertical localizations of T, S and Δp. The assimilation experiments were able to significantly improve the thermohaline structure produced by the control run. They reduced the RMSD of T (S) calculated with respect to Argo independent data in 34.11% (43.56%) in comparison to the control run. In some regions, such as the west North Atlantic, substantial corrections in the 20°C isotherm depth and the upper ocean heat content towards climatological states were achieved. The runs with vertical localization of Δp showed positive impacts in the correction of the thermohaline structure and reduced the RMSD of T (S) from 0.993°C (0.149 psu) to 0.905°C (0.138 psu) for the whole domain with respect to the other assimilation runs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A time series from 1977-1989 and 2000-2002 of scientific trawl surveys in the Porcupine Seabight and adjacent Abyssal Plain of the NE Atlantic was analysed to assess changes in demersal fish biomass and length frequency. These two periods coincide with the on-set of the commercial deep-water fishery in the late 1970s and the on-set of the regulation of the fishery in the early 2000's and allowed us to investigate changes in the relationship between total demersal fish biomass and depth between the pre- and post commercial fishing periods, changes in the biomass (kg km² ) depth distribution and length frequency distribution of the most dominant fish species. Our results show a decline in total demersal fish biomass of 36% within the depth range of the commercial fishery (<1500m). Whilst there were significant declines in target (e.g. Coryphaenoides rupestris decreased by 57%) and non-target (e.g. Coryphaenoides guentheri and Antimora rostrata) species, not all species declined significantly. Changes in the overall length-frequency distribution were detected for 2 species (Coryphaenoides armatus, Synaphobranchus kaupii ), but only at depths greater than 1800m (outside the maximum depth for commercial trawling). This suggests that whilst there is evidence for likely fisheries impacts on the biomass distribution of the demersal fish population as a whole, species-specific impacts are highly variable. It is clear that changes in population structure can extend beyond the depth at which fishing takes place, highlighting the importance for also considering the indirect effects on deep-sea fish populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temporal and spatial patterns in the variability of the pelagic metabolism at the surface of the Atlantic Ocean were analyzed in a series of four oceanographic cruises (LATITUDE 1, 2, 3 and 4). The cruises crossed the oligotrophic waters of North and South subtropical gyres and this explained the low values of both gross primary production (GPP) and community respiration (R) found. Net community production (NCP), the balance between production and consumption, was strongly related to the variability in R rates (R² = 0.72, P < 0.0001). NCP was net heterotrophic in 83% of the data, but showed strong temporal and spatial patterns. At the inter-tropical zone, around 10° - 12° N and 10°-12° S, a large variability was observed with values of NCP oscillating from net heterotrophic to net autotrophic seasonally. This variability implied NCP to be net autotrophic in boreal fall and austral spring, and net heterotrophic in boreal spring and austral fall, in the areas around the boundaries of the inter-tropical zone. The variability observed concur with the seasonal climatic and oceanographic regimes of the inter-tropical area, with documented seasonal changes of the North and South Atlantic equatorial currents system, the Guinea Dome, and the Benguela current. When considering the season of the data obtained, significant differences between spring and fall were found for the surface Atlantic, with water temperature and respiration increasing in autumn, showing a net heterotrophic metabolism, and with temperature and respiration decreasing in spring, where NCP were closer to the metabolic balance. In contrast, no seasonal differences were found for GPP and chlorophyll-a concentration. The results showed new spatial and temporal patterns in the pelagic metabolic balance of the surface Atlantic Ocean with consequences for the carbon flux. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relative to their surface areas, coastal oceans and continental shelves host a disproportionately large fraction of ocean productivity. The Scotian Shelf is a biologically productive coastal region of the Northwestern Atlantic Ocean. This subpolar region is influenced by the outflow of the St. Lawrence Estuary system and acts as an annual source for atmospheric CO2. As part of the Atlantic Zone Monitoring Program, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), total alkalinity, and surface CO2 partial pressure measurements were made throughout the Scotian Shelf in 2007. A shelf-wide assessment of the spatio-temporal variability of the inorganic carbon system was made relying on observations in April and September. Between these periods, biological production results in a significant drawdown of inorganic nutrients and DIC in the surface mixed-layer, while hydrographic controls also influence seasonal changes in DIC. Net community production (NCP) over the spring and summer seasons was estimated on the basis of inorganic carbon data. We find significant spatial variability in NCP with the largest values in the Southwestern Browns Bank region and a general trend of increasing NCP with distance offshore. A bulk seasonal carbon budget suggests that along-shore and cross-shelf transport may result in the export of subsurface DIC from this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In January and February 2010, a sixth transatlantic hydrographic section was completed across 25° N, extending the hydrographic record at this latitude to over half a century. In combination with continuous transport measurements made since 2004 at 26° N by the Rapid-WATCH project, we reassess transport variability in the 25° 5 N hydrographic record. Past studies of transport variability at this latitude have assumed transport estimates from each hydrographic section to represent annual average conditions. In this study the uncertainty in this assumption is assessed through use of Rapid-WATCH observations to quantify sub-seasonal and seasonal transport variabil10 ity. Whilst in the upper-ocean no significant interannual or decadal transport variability are identified in the hydrographic record, in the deep ocean transport variability in both depth and potential temperature classes suggests some interannual or decadal variability may have occurred. This is particularly striking in the lower North Atlantic Deep Water where southward transports prior to the 1990s were higher than recent 15 transports by several Sverdrups. Whilst a cooling and freshening of Denmark Straits Overflow Water has occurred which is coincident with these transport changes, these water mass changes appear to be density compensated. Transport changes are the result of changing velocity shear in the vicinity of the DeepWestern Boundary Current. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measurements of light absorption by chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) from sub-surface waters of the tropical Atlantic and Pacific showed a distinct absorption shoulder at 410-415 nm, indicating an underlying absorption of a pigment. A similar absorption maximum at ~410 nm was also found in the particulate fraction and is usually attributed to absorption by respiratory pigments of heterotrophic unicellular organisms. The CDOM absorption shoulder was described earlier in the Indian Ocean at 600 m depth and was related to a "deep red fluorescence" found in the same depth, i.e. in the oxygen minimum zone (Breves et al., 2003; Broenkow et al., 1983). In our study, fluorescence measurements of pre-concentrated DOM samples confirmed that the absorption at ~410 nm was related to a specific fluorescence at 650 nm. The absorption characteristic of this specific fluorophor was examined by fluorescence emission/excitation analysis and this showed a clear excitation maximum at 415 nm (in methanol) that can explain the absorption shoulder in the CDOM spectra. The spectral characteristics of the substance found in the dissolved and particulate fraction did not match with those of chlorophyll a degradation products (as found in a sample from the sea surface) but can be explained by the occurrence of respiratory pigments from heterotrophs. Combining the observations of the "deep red fluorescence" and the 410 nm-absorption shoulder suggests that there are high concentrations of a pigment degradation product (cytochrome c) in DOM of all major oceans. Most pronouncedly we found this signal in the deep chlorophyll maximum and the oxygen minimum zone of tropical regions. The origin, chemical nature, turn-over rate, and fate of this molecule is so far unknown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between phytoplankton assemblages and the associated optical properties of the water body is important for the further development of algorithms for large-scale remote sensing of phytoplankton biomass and the identification of phytoplankton functional types (PFTs), which are often representative for different biogeochemical export scenarios. Optical in-situ measurements aid in the identification of phytoplankton groups with differing pigment compositions and are widely used to validate remote sensing data. In this study we present results from an interdisciplinary cruise aboard the R/V Polarstern along a north-to-south transect in the eastern Atlantic Ocean in November 2008. Phytoplankton community composition was identified using a broad set of in-situ measurements. Water samples from the surface and the depth of maximum chlorophyll concentration were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), flow cytometry, spectrophotometry and microscopy. Simultaneously, the above- and underwater light field was measured by a set of high spectral resolution (hyperspectral) radiometers. An unsupervised cluster algorithm applied to the measured parameters allowed us to define bio-optical provinces, which are compared to ecological provinces proposed elsewhere in the literature. This method has the potential to become an automated approach where satellite data could be used to identify shifting boundaries of established ecological provinces or to track exceptions from the rule to improve our understanding of the biogeochemical cycles in the ocean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the recovery of A06 and A07 World Ocean Circulation Experiment cruises using Global Ocean Data Analysis Project (GLODAP) database combining with CARbon IN the Atlantic Ocean (CARINA) database and contemporary cruise MOC2Equatorial 2010. It notes the application of Multiple Linear Regression to renew the AT data of A06 and A07. Also cited is the implication of the carbon data recovery in the Atlantic Ocean on the increment of global carbon databases.

Megafaunal organisms play a key role in the deep-sea ecosystem functioning. At 3500m depth in the Nazaré Canyon, NE Atlantic, very high abundances of the infaunal holothurian Molpadia musculus were found. Sediment samples and holothurians were collected by ROV and experiments were conducted in situ in incubation chambers. The biochemical composition of the sediment (in terms of proteins, carbohydrates and lipids), the holothurians' gut contents and holothurians' faecal material were analysed. In the sediments, proteins were the dominant organic compound, followed by carbohydrates and lipids. In the holothurian gut contents, conversely, protein concentrations were higher than the other compounds and decreased significantly as the material passed through the digestive tract. About 33±1% of the proteins were digested already in the mid gut, with a final digestion rate equal to 67±1%. Carbohydrates and lipids were ingested in smaller amounts and digested with lower efficiencies (23±11% and 50±11%, respectively). As a result, biopolymeric C digestion rate was on average 62±3%. We also calculated that the entire holothurians' population could remove from the sediment about 0.49±0.13 g biopolymeric C and 0.13±0.03 gNm-2 d-1. These results suggest that the M. musculus plays a key role in the benthic tropho-dynamics and biogeochemical processes of the Nazaré Canyon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non target high resolution organic structural spectroscopy of marine dissolved organic matter (DOM) isolated on 27 November 2008 by means of solid phase extraction (SPE) from four different depths in the South Atlantic Ocean off the Angola coast (3.1° E; -17.7° S; Angola basin) provided molecular level information of complex unknowns with unprecedented coverage and resolution. The sampling was intended to represent major characteristic oceanic regimes of general significance: 5m (FISH; near surface photic zone), 48m (FMAX; fluorescence maximum), 200m (upper mesopelagic zone) and 5446m (30m above ground). 800MHz proton (¹H) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) ¹H NMR, spectra were least affected by fast and differential transverse NMR relaxation and produced at first similar looking, rather smooth bulk NMR envelopes reflecting intrinsic averaging from massive signal overlap. Visibly resolved NMR signatures were most abundant in surface DOM but contributed at most a few percent to the total ¹H NMR integral and were mainly limited to unsaturated and singly oxygenated carbon chemical environments. The relative abundance and variance of resolved signatures between samples was maximal in the aromatic region; in particular, the aromatic resolved NMR signature of the deep ocean sample at 5446m was considerably different from that of all other samples. When scaled to equal total NMR integral, ¹H NMR spectra of the four marine DOM samples revealed considerable variance in abundance for all major chemical environments across the entire range of chemical shift. Abundance of singly oxygenated CH units and acetate derivatives declined from surface to depth whereas aliphatics and carboxyl-rich alicyclic molecules (CRAM) derived molecules increased in abundance. Surface DOM contained a remarkably lesser abundance of methyl esters than all other marine DOM, likely a consequence of photodegradation from direct exposure to sunlight. All DOM showed similar overall 13C NMR resonance envelopes typical of an intricate mixture of natural organic matter with noticeable peaks of anomerics and C-aromatics carbon whereas oxygenated aromatics and ketones were of too low abundance to result in noticeable humps at the S/N ratio provided. Integration according to major substructure regimes revealed continual increase of carboxylic acids and ketones from surface to deep marine DOM, reflecting a progressive oxygenation of marine DOM, with concomitant decline of carbohydrate-related substructures. Isolation of marine DOM by means of SPE likely discriminated against carbohydrates but produced materials with beneficial NMR relaxation properties: a substantial fraction of dissolved organic molecules present allowed the acquisition of two-dimensional NMR spectra with exceptional resolution. JRES, COSY and HMBC NMR spectra were capable to depict resolved molecular signatures of compounds exceeding a certain minimum abundance. Here, JRES spectra suffered from limited resolution whereas HMBC spectra were constrained because of limited S/N ratio. Hence, COSY NMR spectra appeared best suited to depict organic complexity in marine DOM. The intensity and number of COSY cross peaks was found maximal for sample FMAX and conformed to about 1500 molecules recognizable in variable abundance. Surface DOM (FISH) produced a slightly (~25 %) lesser number of cross peaks with remarkable positional accordance to FMAX (~80% conforming COSY cross peaks were found in FISH and FMAX). With increasing water depth, progressive attenuation of COSY cross peaks was caused by fast transverse NMR relaxation of yet unknown origin. However, most of the faint COSY cross peak positions of deep water DOM conformed to those observed in the surface DOM, suggesting the presence of a numerous set of identical molecules throughout the entire ocean column even if the investigated water masses belonged to different oceanic regimes and currents. Aliphatic chemical environments of methylene (CH2) and methyl (CH3) in marine DOM were nicely discriminated in DEPT HSQC NMR spectra. Classical methyl groups terminating aliphatic chains represented only ~15% of total methyl in all marine DOM investigated. Chemical shift anisotropy from carbonyl derivatives (i.e. most likely carboxylic acids) displaced aliphatic methyl ¹H NMR resonances up toδH ~1.6 ppm, indicative of alicyclic geometry which furnishes more numerous short range connectivities for any given atom pairs. A noticeable fraction of methyl (~2 %) was bound to olefinic carbon. The comparatively large abundance of methyl ethers in surface marine DOM contrasted with DOM of freshwater and soil origin. The chemical diversity of carbohydrates as indicated by H2CO-groups (δC ~62±2 ppm) and anomerics (δC ~102±7 ppm) exceeded that of freshwater and soil DOM considerably. HSQC NMR spectra were best suited to identify chemical environments of methin carbon (CH) and enabled discrimination of olefinic and aromatic cross peaks (δC > 110 ppm) and those of doubly oxygenated carbon (δC < 110 ppm). The abundance of olefinic protons exceeded that of aromatic protons; comparison of relative HSQC cross peak integrals indicated larger abundance of olefinic carbon than aromatic carbon in all marine DOM as well. A considerable fraction of olefins seemed isolated and likely sterically constrained as judged from small nJHH couplings associated with those olefins. High S/N ratio and fair resolution of TOCSY and HSQC cross peaks enabled unprecedented depiction of sp²-hybridized carbon chemical environments in marine DOM with discrimination of isolated and conjugated olefins as well as α, β-unsaturated double bonds. However, contributions from five-membered heterocycles (furan, pyrrol and thiophene derivatives) even if very unlikely from given elemental C/N and C/S ratios and upfield proton NMR chemical shift (δH <6.5 ppm) could not yet been ruled out entirely. In addition to classical aromatic DOM, like benzene derivatives and phenols, six-membered nitrogen heterocycles were found prominent contributors to the downfield region of proton chemical shift (δH > 8 ppm). Specifically, a rather confined HSQC cross peak at δH/δC =8.2/164 ppm indicated a limited set of nitrogen heterocycles with several nitrogen atoms in analogy to RNA derivatives present in all four marine DOM. Appreciable amounts of extended HSQC and TOCSY cross peaks derived from various key polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon substructures suggested the presence of previously proposed but NMR invisible thermogenic organic matter (TMOC) in marine DOM at all water depths. Eventually, olefinic unsaturation in marine DOM will be more directly traceable to ultimate biogenic precursors than aromatic unsaturation of which a substantial fraction originates from an aged material which from the beginning was subjected to complex and less specific biogeochemical reactions like thermal decomposition. The variance in molecular mass as indicated from Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) mass spectra was limited and could not satisfactorily explain the observed disparity in NMR transverse relaxation of the four marine DOM samples. Likewise, the presence of metal ions in isolated marine DOM remained near constant or declined from surface to depth for important paramagnetic ions like Mn, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni and Cu. Iron in particular, a strong complexing paramagnetic ion, was found most abundant by a considerable margin in surface (FISH) marine DOM for which well resolved COSY cross peaks were observed. Hence, facile relationships between metal content of isolated DOM (which does not reflect authentic marine DOM metal content) and transverse NMR relaxation were not observed. High field (12 T) negative electrospray ionization FTICR mass spectra showed at first view rather conforming mass spectra for all four DOM samples with abundant CHO, CHNO, CHOS and CHNOS molecular series with slightly increasing numbers of mass peaks from surface to bottom DOM and similar fractions (~50 %) of assigned molecular compositions throughout all DOM samples. The average mass increased from surface to bottom DOM by about 10 Dalton. The limited variance of FTICR mass spectra probably resulted from a rather inherent conformity of marine DOM at the mandatory level of intrinsic averaging provided by FTICR mass spectrometry, when many isomers unavoidably project on single nominal mass peaks. In addition, averaging from ion suppression added to the accordance observed. The proportion of CHO and CHNO molecular series increased from surface to depth whereas CHOS and especially CHNOS molecular series markedly declined. The abundance of certain aromatic CHOS compounds declined with water depth. For future studies, COSY NMR spectra appear best suited to assess organic molecular complexity of marine DOM and to define individual DOM molecules of yet unknown structure and function. Non-target organic structural spectroscopy at the level demonstrated here covered nearly all carbon present in marine DOM. The exhaustive characterization of complex unknowns in marine DOM will reveal a meaningful assessment of individual marine biogeo-signatures which carry the holistic memory of the oceanic water masses (Koch et al., 2011). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prokaryotic communities are recognized as major drivers of the biogeochemical processes in the oceans. However, the genetic diversity and composition of those communities is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the eubacterial communities in three different water layers: surface (2-20 m), deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM; 28-90 m), and deep (100-4600 m) at nine stations along the eastern Atlantic Ocean from 42.8° N to 23.7° S. In order to describe the dynamics of the eubacterial assemblages in relation to depth, associated environmental properties, and Longhurstian ecological provinces community DNA was extracted from 16 samples, from which the V6 region of 16s rDNA was PCR-amplified with eubacteriaspecific primers, and the PCR amplicons were pyrosequenced. A total of 352 029 sequences were generated; after quality filtering and processing, 257 260 sequences were clustered into 2871 normalized Operational Taxonomic Units (OTU) using a definition of 97% sequence identity. Comparisons of the phylogenetic affiliation of those 2871 OTUs show more than 54% of them were assigned to the Proteobacteria, with the Alphaproteobacteria representing 48% of the total Proteobacteria OTUs, and the Gammaproteobacteria representing 22 %. Within the Alphaproteobacteria-affiliated OTUs, 44% of the OTUs were associated with the ubiquitous SAR11 clade. The phylum Cyanobacteria represent 10% of the reads, with the majority of those reads among the GpIIa family including Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus. Among the Gammaproteobacteria, a single OTU affiliated to Alteromonas comprises ~3% of the abundance. The phyla Bacteroidetes, Verrucomicrobia, Actinobacteria, and Firmicutes represent approximately 7 %, 0.8 %, 2 %, and 0.05% of the read abundance, respectively. Community ecology statistical analyses and a novel implementation of Bayesian inference suggests that eastern Atlantic Ocean eubacterial assemblages are vertically stratified and associated with water layers characterized by unique environmental signals (e.g., temperature, salinity, and nutrients). Genetic composition of eubacterial communities from the same water layer are more similar to each other than to the communities from different water layers. Moreover, within the same water layer the separation of the communities appears to show a significant distance effect. Surface eubacterial communities displayed a general congruency with the ecological provinces defined by Longhurst with exceptions usually associated with unique hydrographic and biogeochemical features. Collectively, our findings suggest that a vertical and latitudinal biogeographical signature is present in the studied communities and that both environmental parameters and ecological provinces are drivers of eubacterial assemblages in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dominant mode of coupled ocean-atmosphere variability in the Tropical Atlantic is analysed in this work from a melange of datasets, focusing on the seasonal development and evolution of the Bjerknes feedback responsible for the generation of the 5 Atlantic cold tongue mode. The strength, seasonality and interannual variability of this mode is investigated through a joint EOF analysis of the anomalies of zonal wind velocity in the western basin together with sea surface temperature from the easternmost Tropical Atlantic, and analysed in conjunction with the depth of the 20 °C isotherm, representing the three mechanisms responsible for the generation of the Bjerknes feed10 back. Results from the EOF analyses confirm the robustness and seasonality of the Atlantic cold tongue mode, with a positive feedback phase peaking during boreal summer when the Bjerknes feedback is stronger. Analysis of an event in 2005 shows that the positive feedback is followed by a negative feedback phase triggered by the wind field and driven by oceanic heat advection. More importantly, we investigated the lin15 earized impact of Niño events in the Pacific Ocean over the Atlantic by projecting the NINO 3.4 index over the Atlantic data. The Atlantic cold tongue mode has its variance reduced from 62% to 47% in the projected dataset, revealing that the Pacific ENSO has an inhibiting effect over its Atlantic counterpart. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]