title: Saharan dust deposition may affect phytoplankton growth in the Mediterranean sea at ecological time scales.
abstract: The surface waters of the Mediterranean Sea are extremely poor in the nutrients necessary for plankton growth. At the same time, the Mediterranean Sea borders with the largest and most active desert areas in the world and the atmosphere over the basin is subject to frequent injections of mineral dust particles. We describe statistical correlations between dust deposition over the Mediterranean Sea and surface chlorophyll concentrations at ecological time scales. Aerosol deposition of Saharan origin may explain 1 to 10% (average 5%) of seasonally detrended chlorophyll variability in the low nutrient-low chlorophyll Mediterranean. Most of the statistically significant correlations are positive with main effects in spring over the Eastern and Central Mediterranean, conforming to a view of dust events fueling needed nutrients to the planktonic community. Some areas show negative effects of dust deposition on chlorophyll, coinciding with regions under a large influence of aerosols from European origin. The influence of dust deposition on chlorophyll dynamics may become larger in future scenarios of increased aridity and shallowing of the mixed layer.
authors.affiliation: Departament de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut de Ciències del Mar, CSIC, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Rachele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gallisai
authors.affiliation: Departament de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut de Ciències del Mar, CSIC, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Francesc
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Scienze dell'Atmosfera e del Clima, Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Volpe
authors.affiliation: Earth Sciences Department, Barcelona Supercomputing Center-Centro Nacional de Supercomputación, BSC-CNS, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Basart
authors.affiliation: Earth Sciences Department, Barcelona Supercomputing Center-Centro Nacional de Supercomputación, BSC-CNS, Barcelona, Spain; Environmental Modelling Laboratory, Technical University of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: José Maria
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Baldasano
mesh_terms: D000352:Africa, Northern; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000378:metabolism*; D003889:Desert Climate; D004391:Dust; D008386:Marine Biology; D008522:Mediterranean Sea; D010839:Phytoplankton / Q000254:growth & development*
chemical_list: D004391:Dust; D002734:Chlorophyll