Éditeur(s) : Elsevier
Résumé : In biological modelling of the coastal phytoplankton dynamics, the light attenuation coefficient is often expressed as a function of the concentrations of chlorophyll and mineral suspended particulate matter (SPM). In order to estimate the relationship between these parameters over the continental shelf of the northern Bay of Biscay, a set of in situ data has been gathered for the period 1998-2003 when SeaWiFS imagery is available. These data comprise surface measurements of the concentrations of total SPM, chlorophyll, and irradiance profiles from which is derived the attenuation coefficient of the photosynthetically available radiation, K-PAR. The performance of the IFREMER look-up table used to retrieve the chlorophyll concentration from the SeaWiFS radiance is evaluated on this new set of data. The quality of the estimated chlorophyll concentration is assessed from a comparison of the variograms of the in situ and satellite-derived chlorophyll concentrations. Once the chlorophyll concentration is determined, the non living SPM, which is defined as the SPM not related to the dead or alive endogenous phytoplankton, is estimated from the radiance at 555 nm by inverting a semi-analytic model. This method provides realistic estimations of concentrations of chlorophyll and SPM over the continental shelf all over the year. Finally, a relationship, based on non living SPM and chlorophyll, is proposed to estimate K-PAR on the continental shelf of the Bay of Biscay. The same formula is applied to non living SPM and chlorophyll concentrations, observed in situ or derived from SeaWiFS radiance.
Remote Sensing of Environment (0034-4257) (Elsevier), 2005-03 , Vol. 95 , N. 1 , P. 29-46

Droits : 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/2005/publication-1172.pdf
DOI:10.1016/j.rse.2004.11.007
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/1172/

Éditeur(s) : Elsevier
Résumé : Previous studies conducted on the continental shelf in the Southeast Bay of Biscay influenced by Gironde waters (one of the two largest rivers on the French Atlantic coast) showed the occurrence of late winter phytoplankton blooms and phosphorus limitation of algal growth thereafter. In this context, the importance of dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) for both algae and bacteria was investigated in 1998 and 1999 in terms of stocks and fluxes. Within the mixed layer, although phosphate decreased until exhaustion from winter to spring, DOP remained high and phosphate monoesters made up between I I to 65% of this pool. Total alkaline phosphatase activity (APA, V-max) rose gradually from winter (2-8 nM h(-1)) to late spring (100-400 nM h-1), which was mainly due to an increase in specific phytoplankton (from 0.02 to 3.0 nmol mu gC(-1) h(-1)) and bacterial APA (from 0.04 to 4.0 nmol mu gC(-1) h(-1)), a strategy to compensate for the lack of phosphate. At each season, both communities had equal competitive abilities to exploit DOP but, taking into account biomass, the phytoplankton community activity always dominated (57-63% of total APA) that of bacterial community (9-11%). The dissolved APA represented a significant contribution. In situ regulation of phytoplanktonic APA by phosphate (induction or inversely repression of enzyme synthesis) was confirmed by simultaneously conducted phosphate-enrichment bioassays. Such changes recorded at a time scale of a few days could partly explain the seasonal response of phytoplankton communities to phosphate depletion.
Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology (0022-0981) (Elsevier), 2005-05 , Vol. 318 , N. 2 , P. 213-225

Droits : 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/2005/publication-608.pdf
DOI:10.1016/j.jembe.2004.12.017
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/608/

Éditeur(s) : Université de la Méditerranée
Résumé : This study was supported by the Atlantic working site of the « Programme National d’Océanographie Côtière » (PNOC, PNEC since 1999). The objectives were (1) to check the existence and to understand the mechanisms of winter phytoplankton blooms in the bay of Biscay influenced by the Gironde waters (2) to determine the limiting nutrient of the primary production associated to these blooms and to follow the seasonal evolution of the limiting nutrient, (3) to understand the consequences of this early limitation on the structuration of algal populations in spring. Since phosphorus was supposed to be the major limiting nutrient of algal growth in the Gironde plume, the different forms of the phosphorus cycle as well as the bacterial compartment, central in this cycle, were also studied in term of stocks and fluxes. The sampling strategy consisted in three cruises in 1998, BIOMET 2 (January), BIOMET 3 (beginning of March), PEGASE (June) and six cruises in 1999, PLAGIA 1 to 6 (late February, late April, late May, late June, the middle of July and the beginning of October). Winter algal blooms, essentially diatoms, were actually observed both in the typical waters of the plume (S < 34.5) and at the limit of the plume and adjacent atlantic oceanic waters (S > 34.5) in the successives years 1998 and 1999. These blooms were initiated by the occurrence of short anticyclonic windows in winter, acting on physical processes which dominate the evolution and characteristics of the Gironde plume (runoff, wind direction and speed) and, ultimately, on the evolution of the depth of the mixed layer (haline stratification) and available light (decrease of turbidity). The algal growth was actually phosphorus limited in the typical waters of the plume at the end of the winter bloom, in spring and became nitrogen and phosphorus limited in summer until the first autumn gales restored the nutritive balance. More oceanic waters (S > 34.5) were probably N+P limited from the end of the winter-the beginning of spring to autumn. Phosphorus limitation of winter blooms, associated with girondine unbalanced nutritive supplies (high NO3/PO4 ratios) favoured the development of small cells at the beginning of spring and the later presence of spring blooms (June 1998, late May 1999) composed of pico and nanophytoplankton (nanoflagellates), instead of typical diatom spring blooms for temperate waters. This size reduction of algal communities is strongthened by the competition between phytoplankton and bacteria for the phosphate uptake, bacteria being more competitives at low concentrations and being phosphorus limited sometimes in spring. The decreasing size of algal cells probably acted on the structuration of the whole food web. The study of the different forms of phosphorus displayed the importance of the Dissolved Organic Phosphorus (DOP) pool. The potential biological lability and the capacity of algae and bacteria to use the DOP in spring when phosphate are undetectable was shown by the very high specific activities of alkaline phosphatases and the very rapid cycling of phosphate monoesters. According to the few estimations of actual phosphatasic activity and phosphate assimilation fluxes, the hydrolysis of DOP associated with the coupled assimilation of liberated phosphate would represent 91 to 99 % of the phosphorus fluxes into algal and bacterial cells when phosphate were exhausted. In such conditions DOP could satisfy most of microorganisms phosphorus needs.
Cette thèse s’inscrit dans le cadre du Chantier Atlantique du Programme National d’Océanographie Côtière (PNOC, PNEC depuis 1999). Les objectifs de ce travail étaient (1) de vérifier l’existence et comprendre le déterminisme de blooms phytoplanctoniques hivernaux dans les eaux du Golfe de Gascogne influencées par la Gironde, (2) de préciser le facteur limitant de la production primaire associée à ces blooms et de suivre l’évolution saisonnière de ce facteur et (3) de comprendre les conséquences de cette limitation précoce sur la structuration des populations algales au printemps. Le phosphore étant supposé être le principal élément limitant de la croissance algale dans le panache de la Gironde, les différentes composantes du cycle du phosphore ainsi que le compartiment bactérien, central dans ce cycle, ont été étudiés en terme de stock et de flux. La stratégie d’échantillonnage a consisté en trois campagnes en 1998, BIOMET 2 (janvier), BIOMET 3 (début mars), PEGASE (juin) et six campagnes en 1999, PLAGIA 1 à 6 (fin février, fin avril, fin mai, fin juin, mi-juillet et début octobre). Des efflorescences algales hivernales, constituées essentiellement de diatomées, ont effectivement été observées de façon récurrente dans les eaux typiques du panache (S < 34,5) et à la limite du panache et des eaux océaniques atlantiques adjacentes (S > 34,5) au cours des deux années successives 1998 et 1999. Ces blooms ont été engendrés par l’apparition de courtes fenêtres anticycloniques en période hivernale, ces fenêtres interférant sur les processus physiques qui prévalent sur l’évolution et les caractéristiques du panache de la Gironde (régime des débits, orientation et force du vent) et, de façon ultime, sur l’évolution de la profondeur de la couche de mélange (halostratification) et la disponibilité en lumière (diminution de la turbidité). La croissance algale était limitée par le phosphore dans les eaux typiques du panache à la fin du bloom hivernal, au printemps et devint limitée en azote et en phosphore en période estivale et ceci jusqu’à ce que les premières tempêtes automnales rétablissent l’équilibre nutritif des eaux. Les eaux à caractère plus océanique (S > 34,5) étaient plus probablement limitées par N+P dès la fin de l’hiverdébut du printemps et ce jusqu’à l’automne. La limitation des blooms hivernaux par le phosphore, associée à des apports nutritifs girondins déséquilibrés en phosphate (rapports NO3/PO4 élevés) a favorisé le développement de cellules de petite taille au début du printemps et la présence ultérieure de blooms printaniers (juin 1998, fin mai 1999) composés de pico- et de nanophytoplancton (nanoflagellés), blooms « atypiques » pour des eaux tempérées à cette saison. Cette structuration des communautés algales est renforcée par la compétition entre le phytoplancton et les bactéries pour l’acquisition du phosphate, les bactéries étant plus compétitives aux faibles teneurs en phosphate et pouvant être elles-mêmes limitées par le phosphore à certains moments du printemps. La diminution de taille des cellules algales a probablement une incidence sur la structure de taille de l’ensemble du réseau trophique. L’étude des différentes composantes du phosphore montre l’importance du pool de Phosphore Organique Dissous (POD), sa labilité biologique potentielle et la capacité des communautés algales et bactériennes à utiliser ce pool au printemps quand les phosphates sont indétectables (activités spécifiques des phosphatases alcalines très élevées, recyclage très rapide des monoesters de phosphate). Au vu des quelques estimations de l’activité phosphatasique réelle et des flux d’assimilation de phosphate, l’hydrolyse du POD associée à l’assimilation couplée du phosphate libéré représenterait 91 à 99 % des flux de phosphore vers les cellules algales et bactériennes, quand les phosphates du milieu sont déficients. Dans de telles conditions, le POD pourrait satisfaire l’essentiel des besoins des microorganismes en phosphore.

Droits : info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00013/12463/9298.pdf
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00013/12463/

Éditeur(s) : Elsevier
Résumé : Seasonal variations in nutrient inputs are described for the main rivers (Loire and Vilaine) flowing into the northern Bay of Biscay. The river plumes are high in N/P ratio in late winter and spring, but not in the inner plume during the summer. Conservative behavior results in most nutrients entering the estuary and eventually reaching the coastal zone. Temporal and spatial aspects of phytoplankton growth and nutrient uptake in the northern Bay of Biscay distinguish the central area of salinity 34 from the plume area. The first diatom bloom appears offshore in late winter, at the edge of the river plumes, taking advantage of haline stratification and anticyclonic "weather windows." In spring, when the central area of the northern shelf is phosphorus-limited, small cells predominate in the phytoplankton community and compete with bacteria for both mineral and organic phosphorus. At that period, river plumes are less extensive than in winter, but local nutrient enrichment at the river mouth allows diatom growth. In summer, phytoplankton become nitrogen-limited in the river plumes; the central area of the shelf is occupied by small forms of phytoplankton, which are located on the thermocline and use predominantly regenerated nutrients.
Journal of Marine Systems (0924-7963) (Elsevier), 2008-07 , Vol. 72 , N. 1-4 , P. 309-319

Droits : 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/2007/publication-2354.pdf
DOI:10.1016/j.jmarsys.2007.03.010
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/2354/