Changes in phytoplankton bloom phenology over the North Water (NOW) polynya: a response to changing environmental conditions

Marine ecological indicators can be used to assess the condition of the pelagic ecosystems. The bloom onset provides a warning bell for possible changes in trophic interactions and biogeochemical processes. However, depicting the phenology of phytoplankton blooms at high latitudes, where long-term observations are sparse or unavailable, is not a straightforward task. A data-interpolating empirical orthogonal function algorithm was applied to daily satellite-retrieved chlorophyll-a images to produce a long-term (1998–2014) and cloud-free data set over the North Water (NOW) polynya. The seasonal bloom was modeled using a multi-Gaussian approach from which a baseline of phenological characteristics was extracted. The correlation analysis highlights the influence of environmental factors, such as sea surface temperature, cloud fraction, wind stress, and sea-ice concentration, in modulating the bloom start date, its duration, and amplitude. The year-to-year variability in bloom onset appears to be controlled by a delicate balance between oceanographic and meteorological conditions. Blooms last longer during years characterized by a longer open-water period and are shorter during those characterized by greater sea-ice coverage. Noteworthy is the decrease in phytoplankton bloom amplitude over the 17 years examined. Collectively, these outcomes depict the NOW as a climate-sensitive region in which the pelagic marine ecosystem seems to be going toward a decline in chlorophyll-a concentrations. Satellite time series are still too short to differentiate between inter-annual variability, inter-decadal variability, and climate change signal. Should these changes persist; however, the NOW may no longer act as a productive regional oasis supporting thriving populations of zooplankton and top predators.