Phytoplankton response to an intense dust storm in the Tasman Sea in September-October, 2009

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Gabric, Albert
Cropp, Roger
McTainsh, Grant
Johnston, Barbara
Butler, Harry
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Luonan Chen, Xiang-Sun Zhang, Ling-Yun Wu, Yong Wang

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2014
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Qingdao, China

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Here we present a detailed analysis of the marine biological response in the Tasman Sea (25-40ꓬ 150-170ũ after the 'Red Dawn' dust storm, which was one the largest recorded in SE Australia in the last 70 years. We examine the impact of dust-derived nutrients deposited to the ocean surface on satellite-derived estimates of phytoplankton biomass as indicated by surface chlorophyll-a. We have simulated contemporaneous atmospheric dust load and deposition over the adjacent ocean using a regional dust transport model that provides daily data from September to December 2009. The phytoplankton response was confined to the region south of 30ꓬ with the greatest positive anomalies (>0.6 mgm-3) occurring south of 35ꓬ even though deposition was recorded further north. Contrary to previous reports of little biological impacts from dust storms in the Tasman Sea, our results suggest the regional phytoplankton can respond strongly to inputs of aeolian nutrients during the Austral spring if deposition is strong and ocean conditions are favourable.

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2014 8th International Conference on Systems Biology (ISB)

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© 2014 International Society of Biomechanics (ISB). The attached file is reproduced here in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. Please refer to the conference's website for access to the definitive, published version.

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Biological Oceanography

Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified

Earth Sciences not elsewhere classified

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