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Environmental structuring of marine plankton phenology

Nature Ecology & Evolution volume 1, pages 1484–1494 (2017)Cite this article

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Abstract

Seasonal cycles of primary production (phenology) critically influence biogeochemical cycles, ecosystem structure and climate. In the oceans, primary production is dominated by microbial phytoplankton that drift with currents, and show rapid turnover and chaotic dynamics, factors that have hindered understanding of their phenology. We used all available observations of upper-ocean phytoplankton concentration (1995–2015) to describe global patterns of phytoplankton phenology, the environmental factors that structure them, and their relationships to terrestrial patterns. Phytoplankton phenologies varied strongly by latitude and productivity regime: those in high-production regimes were governed by insolation, whereas those in low-production regimes were constrained by vertical mixing. In eight of ten ocean regions, our findings contradict the hypothesis that phytoplankton phenologies are coherent at basin scales. Lastly, the spatial organization of phenological patterns in the oceans was broadly similar to those on land, suggesting an overarching effect of insolation on the phenology of primary producers globally.

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Fig. 1: Data availability and modelling approach.
Fig. 2: Global patterns of phytoplankton phenology.
Fig. 3: Spatial synchrony of phytoplankton phenology.
Fig. 4: Environmental correlates of phytoplankton phenology.
Fig. 5: Biotic and abiotic structuring of phytoplankton phenology.
Fig. 6: Contrasting land and ocean phenology patterns.

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Acknowledgements

We thank all data providers, and N. Yoccoz and K. Ellingson for statistical advice and critical feedback. Funding was provided by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada

    Daniel G. Boyce & William C. Leggett

  2. Ocean Sciences Division, Bedford Institute of Oceanography, PO Box 1006, Dartmouth, NS, B2Y 4A2, Canada

    Daniel G. Boyce, Brian Petrie & Kenneth T. Frank

  3. Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2, Canada

    Boris Worm

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D.G.B. and B.W. initiated the study. D.G.B. compiled the data, conducted the analyses and wrote the manuscript. B.P., K.T.F. and W.C.L. assisted with the analyses, and all authors discussed the results and edited the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Daniel G. Boyce.

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Boyce, D.G., Petrie, B., Frank, K.T. et al. Environmental structuring of marine plankton phenology. Nat Ecol Evol 1, 1484–1494 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-017-0287-3

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