title: Southern Ocean phytoplankton physiology in a changing climate.
abstract: The Southern Ocean (SO) is a major sink for anthropogenic atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), potentially harbouring even greater potential for additional sequestration of CO2through enhanced phytoplankton productivity. In the SO, primary productivity is primarily driven by bottom up processes (physical and chemical conditions) which are spatially and temporally heterogeneous. Due to a paucity of trace metals (such as iron) and high variability in light, much of the SO is characterised by an ecological paradox of high macronutrient concentrations yet uncharacteristically low chlorophyll concentrations. It is expected that with increased anthropogenic CO2emissions and the coincident warming, the major physical and chemical process that govern the SO will alter, influencing the biological capacity and functioning of the ecosystem. This review focuses on the SO primary producers and the bottom up processes that underpin their health and productivity. It looks at the major physico-chemical drivers of change in the SO, and based on current physiological knowledge, explores how these changes will likely manifest in phytoplankton, specifically, what are the physiological changes and floristic shifts that are likely to ensue and how this may translate into changes in the carbon sink capacity, net primary productivity and functionality of the SO.
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, 15 Broadway, Ultimo, New South Wales 2007, Australia. Electronic address: Katherina.Petrou@uts.edu.au.
authors.forename: Katherina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Petrou
authors.affiliation: Florida State University, Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA.
authors.forename: Sven A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Kranz
authors.affiliation: Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany; University of Bremen, Leobener Straße NW2, 28359 Bremen, Germany.
authors.forename: Scarlett
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Trimborn
authors.affiliation: University of Geneva, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Institut F.-A. Forel, Uni Vogt, 66 bvd Carl-Vogt, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Christel S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Hassler
authors.affiliation: University of Geneva, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Institut F.-A. Forel, Uni Vogt, 66 bvd Carl-Vogt, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Sonia Blanco
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Ameijeiras
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Olivia
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sackett
authors.affiliation: Plant Functional Biology and Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, 15 Broadway, Ultimo, New South Wales 2007, Australia.
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Ralph
authors.affiliation: Department of the Environment, Australian Antarctic Division, 203 Channel Highway, Kingston, Tasmania 7050, Australia; Antarctic Climate and Ecosystem Cooperative Research Centre (ACECRC), University of Tasmania, Private Bag 80, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia.
authors.forename: Andrew T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Davidson
mesh_terms: D057231:Climate Change; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D010839:Phytoplankton / Q000502:physiology*; D013696:Temperature
keywords: Climate change; Marine primary productivity; Phytoplankton; Southern Ocean