Majority of Southern Ocean seasonal sea ice bloom net community
production precedes total ice retreat
Abstract
The Southern Ocean Seasonal Sea Ice Zone (SSIZ) is characterized by the
development of spring phytoplankton blooms following retreating sea ice.
Until recently, assessing SSIZ bloom carbon export has been limited by a
lack of under ice observations. Here, we relate the timing of
phytoplankton growth to the drawdown of surface nutrients and sea ice
cover and estimate spring bloom net community production (bNCP) using
biogeochemical profiling float observations. The onset of biological
production follows initial sea ice breakup with 64% of bNCP under
partial sea ice cover. Estimates of bNCP range from <1 to
>4 mol C m-2 bloom-1,
with earlier sea ice breakup associated with higher bNCP, and the
highest bNCP where micronutrient supply is likely enhanced by
topographic-driven mixing. These results indicate that satellite-derived
export estimates will underestimate bNCP in the SSIZ and have
implications for future carbon export in a changing Southern Ocean sea
ice regime.