1. Dr. Neil S. Suits

2. NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, The SeaWiFS Project and GeoEye, Scientific Visualization Studio SeaWiFS Ocean Biosphere: 1997 to 2006

3. What is productivity? It is photosynthesis. Sometimes referred to as primary productivity. In its simplest form, focusing on the carbon: CO 2 + H 2 O  CH 2 O + O 2 Carbon dioxideWaterCarbohydrateOxygen

4. CO 2 + H 2 O  CH 2 O + O 2 Photosynthesis   Respiration (light) And it’s really part of a larger carbon cycle. Chemical (oxidative) energy

5. However, it’s a little more complicated than that, because in order to live and grow (form proteins, chlorophyll, ATP, etc.) a plant actually needs: If any of these inputs is missing, photosynthesis is ‘limited’. Carbon dioxide Light nutrients (N, P, trace elements) ‘Plant’ Biomass (CNP) Oxygen water which produces and gives off inputs outputs

6. On land growth of plants can be limited by nutrients, light or water. But in the ocean growth of ‘plants’ is limited only by nutrients or light.

7. Surface Water Phosphate Concentrations NOAA-NESDIS-National Oceanographic Data Center- Climatology

8. Surface Water Temperature (SST)

9. Vertical Structure of the Open Ocean Temperature (°C) 1020300 100 200 400 500 300 0 Depth (m) Surface water: a well mixed layer; single temperature; warm and buoyant The thermocline: depth of most rapid temperature change; boundary between surface and deep water Deep Water: large homogeneous body of water; cold and dense also the photic zone Low and Midlatitude surface water is generally well stratified

10. 13° N N Atlantic 100 200 400 500 300 0 102030 Temperature (°C) Depth (m) 0 100 200 400 500 300 0 Depth (m) Nitrate (  mol/Kg) 30 20100 N Atlantic 13° N Low latitude surface water is stratified High latitude surface water is mixed Low latitude surface water is nutrient-poor High latitude surface water is nutrient-rich NABE #042000614; Sta 5; cast 1; EQPAC; Sta 0; 13.2° N, 142° E

11. Where does photosynthesis not occur in the ocean? At the center of oceanic gyres: Deep mixed layers and thermoclines, low winds, net downward water flux The oceanic gyres are the ‘deserts’ of the ocean

12. Where does photosynthesis occur in the ocean? Open ocean; high latitudes: seasonally active; (poor stratification due to cold air and little sunlight; nutrient-rich), light-limited Open ocean; mid to low latitudes: wind-driven upwelling (coastal, equatorial, monsoonal and sporadic; plenty of sunlight)nutrient-limited Along continental margins: especially near river mouths, (groundwater and river runoff, spring melt and rainy season)

13. Coastal Upwelling Southern hemisphere, hence Coriolis force pushes water to the left of the surface stress

14. Equator 5° N 5° S Winds Ekman transport Equatorial Upwelling Map view Cross section (a)

15. Normal conditions – equatorial Pacific

16. ENSO (El Nino - Southern Oscillation) conditions

17. El Niño La Niña Warm water is red; cold water is blue Ocean Surface Temperatures : ENSO cycle

18. El Niño/Southern Ocean Index (SOI) 1890-2000)

19. Idealized ENSO wave http://www.cdc.noaa.gov/people/joseph.barsugli/anim.html For animation of most recent anomaly asee http://www.cdc.noaa.gov/map/clim/sst_olr/sst_anim.shtml Animations on the web

21. Atmospheric Circulation: ENSO cycle

22. Weather Variation: ENSO cycle winter summer

23. Return to Productivity:Examples Open ocean; high latitudes: North Atlantic and Pacific, Southern Ocean (polar fronts, convergent and divergent zones) Open ocean; low latitudes: Equatorial Pacific, Indian Ocean (Arabian Sea), Coastal Upwelling: Peru, Namibia & NW Africa Near River Mouths: Congo, Amazon, Mississippi of where there are high rates of photosynthesis in surface ocean water:

24. NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, The SeaWiFS Project and GeoEye, Scientific Visualization Studio SeaWiFS Ocean Biosphere: 1997 to 2006

25. NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, The SeaWiFS Project and GeoEye, Scientific Visualization Studio SeaWiFS Biosphere: 3 years

26. NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, The SeaWiFS Project and GeoEye, Scientific Visualization Studio SeaWiFS Biosphere

27. Where does photosynthesis occur in the ocean? Open ocean; high latitudes: seasonally active; (poor stratification due to cold air and little sunlight; nutrient-rich), light-limited Open ocean; mid to low latitudes: wind-driven upwelling (coastal, equatorial, monsoonal and sporadic; plenty of sunlight)nutrient-limited Along continental margins: especially near river mouths, (groundwater and river runoff, spring melt and rainy season)

28. NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, The SeaWiFS Project and GeoEye, Scientific Visualization Studio SeaWiFS Biosphere: North Atlantic

29. NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, The SeaWiFS Project and GeoEye, Scientific Visualization Studio SeaWiFS Biosphere: Amazon River

30. NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, The SeaWiFS Project and GeoEye, Scientific Visualization Studio SeaWiFS Biosphere: Congo River & Namibia