Seafloor primary production in a changing Arctic Ocean
Data files
Feb 27, 2025 version files 24.82 MB
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Figure_2A_Pan_Arctic_microalgal_BPP.dat
680 B
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Figure_2B_seabed_area_exposed_to_PAR.dat
287 B
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Figure_3A_BenthicPAR.dat
6.11 MB
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Figure_3B_MicroalgalBPP.dat
6.18 MB
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Figure_3C_trend_KdPAR.dat
6.21 MB
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Figure_3D_trend_BPP.dat
6.32 MB
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Figure_5_panArctic_primary_production.dat
187 B
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Figure_S1_and_Figure_S2.dat
1.11 KB
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README.md
2.81 KB
Abstract
Phytoplankton and sea ice algae are traditionally considered to be the main primary producers in the Arctic Ocean. In this Perspective, we explore the importance of benthic primary producers (BPPs) encompassing microalgae, macroalgae, and seagrasses, which represent a poorly quantified source of Arctic marine primary production. Despite scarce observations, models predict that BPPs are widespread, colonising ⁓3 million km2 of the extensive Arctic coastal and shelf seas. Using a synthesis of published data and a novel model we estimate that BPPs currently contribute ⁓77 Tg C yr-1 of primary production to the Arctic, equivalent to ~20-35% of annual phytoplankton production. Macroalgae contribute ⁓43 Tg C yr-1, seagrasses contribute ⁓23 Tg C yr-1, and microalgae-dominated shelf habitats contribute ⁓11-16 Tg C yr-1. Since 2003, the Arctic seafloor area exposed to sunlight has increased by ~47000 km2 yr-1, expanding the realm of BPPs in a warming Arctic. Increased macrophyte abundance and productivity are expected along Arctic coastlines with continued ocean warming and sea ice loss. However, microalgal benthic primary production has increased in only a few shelf regions despite substantial sea ice loss over the past 20 years, as higher solar irradiance in the ice-free ocean is counterbalanced by reduced water transparency. This suggests the complex impacts of climate change on Arctic light availability and marine primary production. Despite significant knowledge gaps on Arctic BPPs, their widespread presence and obvious contribution to coastal and shelf ecosystem production call for further investigation and for their inclusion in Arctic ecosystem models and carbon budgets.
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.n2z34tn49
The dataset contains the following files:
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Figure 2A_Pan Arctic microalgal BPP.dat: An ASCII file containing four columns showing ‘Year’ in columns 1 and 3, and pan-Arctic microalgal benthic primary production (in teragrams of carbon per year; Tg C yr-1) in columns 2 and 4 for Gattuso et al. (for years 1998-2018) and Singh et al. (for years 2003-2020) datasets.
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Figure 2B_Seabed area exposed to PAR.dat: An ASCII file containing two columns: Year (column 1) and Seabed area exposed to photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) (column 2) in square kilometers.
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Figure 3A_BenthicPAR.dat: An ASCII file containing Latitude (column 1; 60.0-89.8 degrees), and Longitude (row 1; -180 to 179.8 degrees), and corresponding daily integrated photosynthetic active radiation (PAR, in moles of PAR per square meter per day, mol PAR m-2 d-1) reaching the seafloor, estimated using the Singh et al. model.
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Figure 3B_MicroalgalBPP.dat: An ASCII file containing Latitude (column 1; 60.0-89.8 degrees), and Longitude (row 1; -180 to 179.8 degrees), and corresponding daily microalgal benthic primary production (BPP, in millimoles of oxygen per square meter per day, mmol O2 m-2 d-1), which was computed from daily seabed PAR using the functional relationship presented in Fig. S2.
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Figure 3C_trend_KdPAR.dat: An ASCII file containing Latitude (column 1; 60.0-89.8 degrees), and Longitude (row 1; -180 to 179.8 degrees), and the trend in attenuation coefficient of photosynthetic active radiation (KdPAR) for the month of August (2003-2020). Analysis based on Singh et al. benthic photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) data.
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Figure 3D_trend_BPP.dat: An ASCII file containing Latitude (column 1; 60.0-89.8 degrees), and Longitude (row 1; -180 to 179.8 degrees), and the trend in daily benthic primary production (BPP, in millimoles of oxygen per square meter per day, mmol O2 m-2 d-1) for the month of August (2003-2020). Analysis based on Singh et al. benthic photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) data.
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Figure 5_panArctic primary production.dat: An ASCII file containing two columns with annual estimates of Arctic marine photosynthetic net primary production by known sources, in teragrams of carbon per year (Tg C yr-1).
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Figure S1 and Figure S2.dat: An ASCII file containing 7 columns of data summarizing the aquatic eddy covariance datasets that were used to derive the relationship between daily seabed photosynthetic active radiation (PAR, in moles of PAR per square meter per day, mol PAR m-2 d-1) and daily microalgal benthic primary production (in millimoles of oxygen per square meter per day, mmol O2 m-2 d-1).