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Characterising southern ocean phytoplankton community variability and environmental coupling: zonal, sectoral, and seasonal perspectives

Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2024.

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Main Author: Quinlan, Liam Bodley
Other Authors: Fietz, Susanne
Format: Thesis
Language:en_ZA
en_ZA
Published: Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University 2024
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access_status_str Open Access
author Quinlan, Liam Bodley
author2 Fietz, Susanne
author_browse Fietz, Susanne
Quinlan, Liam Bodley
author_facet Fietz, Susanne
Quinlan, Liam Bodley
author_sort Quinlan, Liam Bodley
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv Stellenbosch University
description Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2024.
format Thesis
id oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/130543
institution Stellenbosch University (South Africa)
language en_ZA
en_ZA
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:44:24.378Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
publishDate 2024
publishDateRange 2024
publishDateSort 2024
publisher Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
publisherStr Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
record_format dspace
source_str SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
spelling oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/130543 Characterising southern ocean phytoplankton community variability and environmental coupling: zonal, sectoral, and seasonal perspectives Quinlan, Liam Bodley Fietz, Susanne Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Science. Dept. of Earth Sciences. Marine phytoplankton -- South Atlantic Ocean Marine phytoplankton -- Environmental aspects Chemotaxonomy Phytoplankton -- Effect of temperature on Environmental monitoring Phytoplankton -- Geographical distribution -- Effect of temperature on Nutrient cycles -- Environmental aspects UCTD Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2024. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Marine phytoplankton communities vary in functional groups prevalence across the Southern Ocean. The variability of phytoplankton groups, some drivers of important biogeochemical processes, is intricately linked to their adaptation to specific environmental conditions. Community group composition will thus vary as the surface water environment does. In the southern Ocean, different latitudes (ocean zones), longitudes (ocean sectors), and times of year (seasons) support distinct community profiles. In characterising the relationships that exist between specific phytoplankton groups and major environmental drivers, we can contribute to the baseline understanding of the Southern Ocean ecosystem, with implications for the biogeochemical processes its phytoplankton support and the trophic food web these primary producers underpin. Phytoplankton community structure was determined by chemotaxonomic pigment reconstruction (CHEMTAX) for historically under-surveyed austral spring and winter voyages to the Indian and Atlantic Ocean sectors of the Southern Ocean. Complimented by ship-board environmental monitoring of the physical sea surface environment (temperature, salinity, and light) and macronutrient parameters (nitrate, phosphate, silicate), the relationships between phytoplankton groups and major environmental drivers were explored using Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA). From this analysis we determined group-environment associations that promote similar community structures three broad zonal regions: northernmost temperate, transitional sub-Antarctic, and southernmost polar. Phytoplankton communities across these regions appear to become increasingly dominated by fewer groups placing greater importance on key functional groups further south. Some group-environments associations appear independent of ocean zone, sector, or season, emphasizing the coupling between major groups components of Southern Ocean phytoplankton communities and their environment. The consistency of positive coupling relationships falls within two classifications: physical environment associated groups (phaeocystis cryptophytes, chlorophytes, coccolithophores, cyanobacteria, and pelagophytes) and nutrient associated groups (diatoms, dinoflagellates, and prasinophytes). These relationships suggest that changes to the Southern Ocean physical environment and nutrient regimes will drive group-specific community restructuring to either favor or hinder some groups over others, with knock-on consequences for the biogeochemical processes those groups drive and the trophic chains they support. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Geen opsomming beskikbaar. Masters 2024-03-04T10:48:33Z 2024-04-26T21:26:20Z 2024-03-04T10:48:33Z 2024-04-26T21:26:20Z 2024-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/130543 en_ZA en_ZA Stellenbosch University 103 pages : illustrations (some color) application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
spellingShingle Marine phytoplankton -- South Atlantic Ocean
Marine phytoplankton -- Environmental aspects
Chemotaxonomy
Phytoplankton -- Effect of temperature on
Environmental monitoring
Phytoplankton -- Geographical distribution -- Effect of temperature on
Nutrient cycles -- Environmental aspects
UCTD
Quinlan, Liam Bodley
Characterising southern ocean phytoplankton community variability and environmental coupling: zonal, sectoral, and seasonal perspectives
title Characterising southern ocean phytoplankton community variability and environmental coupling: zonal, sectoral, and seasonal perspectives
title_full Characterising southern ocean phytoplankton community variability and environmental coupling: zonal, sectoral, and seasonal perspectives
title_fullStr Characterising southern ocean phytoplankton community variability and environmental coupling: zonal, sectoral, and seasonal perspectives
title_full_unstemmed Characterising southern ocean phytoplankton community variability and environmental coupling: zonal, sectoral, and seasonal perspectives
title_short Characterising southern ocean phytoplankton community variability and environmental coupling: zonal, sectoral, and seasonal perspectives
title_sort characterising southern ocean phytoplankton community variability and environmental coupling zonal sectoral and seasonal perspectives
topic Marine phytoplankton -- South Atlantic Ocean
Marine phytoplankton -- Environmental aspects
Chemotaxonomy
Phytoplankton -- Effect of temperature on
Environmental monitoring
Phytoplankton -- Geographical distribution -- Effect of temperature on
Nutrient cycles -- Environmental aspects
UCTD
url https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/130543
work_keys_str_mv AT quinlanliambodley characterisingsouthernoceanphytoplanktoncommunityvariabilityandenvironmentalcouplingzonalsectoralandseasonalperspectives