Response of ocean productivity to a warming Arctic

由于全球变暖，高纬度海洋正在经历最戏剧性的气候变化。预测的变化(例如，海冰覆盖、环流模式、水柱分层、温度、溶解的二氧化碳、营养物质供应)将影响生物系统底部漂浮的单细胞藻类(浮游植物)的生产力，从而影响海洋生态系统的结构和功能。这些光合作用生物吸收溶解在地表水中的营养物质，并在下沉、死亡和分解后将其输送到深海，从而控制大气中的二氧化碳水平。因此，浮游植物通过改变海洋的碳平衡，在改变地球气候方面发挥着关键作用。除了调节气候外，浮游植物生理学还可以影响沿海洋食物网的营养物质转移，对北冰洋鱼类和海洋哺乳动物的生存可能产生重大影响。因此，从实验上评估浮游植物对气候变暖的反应至关重要，特别是在北极西部，那里的浮游植物过程研究很少。 我的NSERC Discovery研究项目的结果将为影响冷水海洋浮游植物生产力的因素提供新的线索，并提高我们对气候变化下北冰洋的营养循环、碳输出和食物网动态的理解。这份《北方研究补充资料》对我的探索个人计划的成功至关重要，因为它支持与北极研究相关的昂贵的后勤成本，特别是旅行，以及物资和样品的运输。 我们将在向北方社区传播气候变化对海洋生态系统影响的研究结果方面发挥积极作用。通过去除“意外因素”，有关未来潜在变化的信息将帮助这些社区适应新的社会经济条件和替代的生存方式。

High-latitude oceans are experiencing the most dramatic climatic variations due to global warming. Predicted changes (e.g. in sea ice cover, circulation patterns, water column stratification, temperature, dissolved carbon dioxide, nutrient supply) will impact marine ecosystem structure and function by affecting the productivity of floating unicellular algae (phytoplankton) at the base of the biological system. These photosynthetic organisms take up nutrients dissolved in surface waters and deliver them to the deep sea after sinking, death and decomposition thereby controlling the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Therefore, phytoplankton play a critical role in modifying the earth's climate by changing the carbon balance of the ocean. In addition to modulating climate, phytoplankton physiology can affect nutrient transfer along marine food webs with potentially dramatic consequences for the survival of fish and marine mammals in arctic seas. Therefore, it is critical to experimentally evaluate phytoplankton responses to warming, especially in the western Arctic where phytoplankton processes studies are few. Results from my NSERC Discovery research program will shed new light on the factors affecting the productivity of cold-water marine phytoplankton, and improve our understanding of nutrient cycles, carbon export and food web dynamics in the Arctic Ocean under a changing climate. This Northern Research Supplement is critical for the success of my Discovery Individual program by supporting expensive logistic costs associated with arctic research, especially travel, and shipping of supplies and samples. We will take an active role in the dissemination of findings about the effects of climate change on marine ecosystems to northern communities. By removing the 'element of surprise', information about potential future changes will help these communities adapt to new socio-economic conditions and alternative ways of subsistence.