Scientific publications

Blooms of a coccolithophore E. huxleyi are generally huge, occur annually and in the oceans of both Hemispheres. As a calcifying algal species, E. huxleyi is known to enhance the partial pressure of dissolved CO₂ in surface ocean, thus reducing its ability to absorb atmospheric CO₂. Here we report on the results of our satellite study of CO2 enhancement in the atmospheric column over E. huxleyi blooms in the North, Greenland, Iceland and Barents seas. The study is based on OCO-2 data, wind force and direction, and E. huxleyi bloom masks developed by us earlier. Eight case studies are discussed herein relating to the time period 2015-2018. The results obtained are strongly indicative that indeed the phenomenon of E. huxleyi blooms noticeably affect the carbon fluxes between the atmosphere and the surface ocean: the quantified enhancement of CO₂ content in the atmospheric column over the bloom area in the six case studies proved to be in the range 0.6 -3.0 ppm. It is also shown that the magnitude of CO2 enhancement in the atmospheric column is significantly controlled by the air advection in the boundary layer.