title: From silk to satellite: half a century of ocean colour anomalies in the Northeast Atlantic.
abstract: Changes in phytoplankton dynamics influence marine biogeochemical cycles, climate processes, and food webs, with substantial social and economic consequences. Large-scale estimation of phytoplankton biomass was possible via ocean colour measurements from two remote sensing satellites - the Coastal Zone Colour Scanner (CZCS, 1979-1986) and the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS, 1998-2010). Due to the large gap between the two satellite eras and differences in sensor characteristics, comparison of the absolute values retrieved from the two instruments remains challenging. Using a unique in situ ocean colour dataset that spans more than half a century, the two satellite-derived chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) eras are linked to assess concurrent changes in phytoplankton variability and bloom timing over the Northeast Atlantic Ocean and North Sea. Results from this unique re-analysis reflect a clear increasing pattern of Chl-a, a merging of the two seasonal phytoplankton blooms producing a longer growing season and higher seasonal biomass, since the mid-1980s. The broader climate plays a key role in Chl-a variability as the ocean colour anomalies parallel the oscillations of the Northern Hemisphere Temperature (NHT) since 1948.
authors.affiliation: Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML), Prospect Place, The Hoe, Plymouth, PL1 3DH, UK.
authors.forename: Dionysios E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Raitsos
authors.forename: Yaswant
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pradhan
authors.forename: Samantha J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Lavender
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hoteit
authors.forename: Abigail
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McQuatters-Gollop
authors.forename: Phillip C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Reid
authors.forename: Anthony J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Richardson
mesh_terms: D001267:Atlantic Ocean; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000032:analysis*; D000077194:Chlorophyll A; D057231:Climate Change; D003116:Color; D005068:Eutrophication; D009659:North Sea; D010839:Phytoplankton / Q000502:physiology*; D058998:Remote Sensing Technology / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012621:Seasons; D018531:Spacecraft / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D002734:Chlorophyll; D000077194:Chlorophyll A
keywords: Northeast Atlantic; chlorophyll; northern hemisphere temperature; ocean colour; phytoplankton variability