Antarctic circumpolar wave impact on marine biology: A natural laboratory for climate change study

Abstract

We use the observed variations in ocean surface chlorophyll, temperature and height caused by the Antarctic Circumpolar Wave (ACW) as a natural laboratory to determine how marine biology responds to changes in ocean stratification in the Southern Ocean. Interannual variations of surface chlorophyll (±5%) observed by SeaWiFS satellite during 1997-2001 vary in phase over the entire Southern Ocean in spite of large east-west dipoles in ocean dynamics. We suggest that this behavior is due to the regional predominance of light versus nutrient limitation over the most productive regions of the Southern Ocean.