Overview on Primary Production in the Southwestern Atlantic

LUTZ, V., ; SEGURA, V., .; A. I. DOGLIOTTI,; TAVANO, M.; BRANDINI, F., ; CALLIARI, D., ; CIOTTI, A. M., ; VILLAFAÑE, V.,; I. R. SCHLOSS,

Plankton Ecology of the Southwestern Atlantic - From the subtropical to the subantarctic realm

Springer

Año: 2018; p. 101 - 126

Photosynthesis is the fundamental process by which autotrophs produceorganic matter to sustain the biosphere using basic elements (i.e., CO2 and H2O)and solar irradiance as energy source. Marine phytoplankton provides near half ofthe global primary production (PP), being at the base of most marine trophic websand playing an important role in the cycling of atmospheric CO2. Therefore, it iscrucial to estimate and understand the relationships between environmental conditionsand PP rates in the global ocean. There are scarce field estimations of PP inthe southern hemisphere and in the Southwestern Atlantic in particular. Hence,global estimates are generally made using indirect methods, such as satellite orbiogeochemical models, which should be validated and adjusted with field data toproduce reliable results.In this section we synthesize the available information, assembling recent fieldPP estimations obtained by research groups from Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay.We evaluate the insights derived from this integrated dataset on the spatial andtemporal dynamics of the phytoplankton production in the Southwestern Atlantic.In addition, a general view of the spatial-temporal variation in PP at a regionalscale using a simple satellite PP model is presented. Finally, we offer perspectivesand recommendations for future studies.V.