These polynyas can enhance the ‘chlorophyll a’ concentration due to the increase in surface area of new open waters during the growth season of the phytoplankton in Southern Ocean. Phytoplankton, also known as microalgae, are similar to terrestrial plants in that they contain chlorophyll and require sunlight in order to live and grow. When populations grow explosively,this is known as a bloom. The study suggests that the occurrence of phytoplankton bloom in Maud Rise polynya may turn it into a potential sink of atmospheric carbon dioxide through biological pumping and convert it into carbon and energy for the essential base of the marine food web. In the bay, initial diatom blooms were replaced by raphidophytes and dinoflagellates in time. They’re responsible for feeding everything from microscopic zooplankton to blue whales. Harmful algal blooms are mainly the result of a type of algae called cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae. With similar conditions prevailing in the Southern Ocean polynya system, with access to sunlight and nutrients, phytoplankton can bloom in numbers of millions of cells per litre of seawater. Phytoplankton also require inorganic nutrients such as nitrates, phosphates, and sulfur which they convert into proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. © @2020 Indusscrolls , All Rights Reserved Phytoplankton blooms in the Southern Ocean can potentially impact climate change: studyDecline in Arctic sea ice does not sound good for the environment, warns NCPORPM calls for comprehensive approach to avert climate crisisTrees not a silver bullet to mitigate climate change Dinoflagellates use a whip-like tail, or flagella, to move through the water and their bodies are covered with complex shells. ‘Chlorophyll a’ is a specific form of chlorophyll used in oxygenic photosynthesis. Saturday, August 15, 2020 These blooms can produce extremely toxic compounds that have harmful effects on fish, shellfish, mammals, birds, and even people. The reduction in phytoplankton population can reduce the amount of carbon dioxide drawn out of the atmosphere and that gets transferred to the deep ocean for long-term storage.However, it has been observed by National Centre of Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) Senior Scientist Dr. Babula Jena and Dr. Anil Kumar, that there are unprecedented phytoplankton blooms in the Maud Rise polynya, Southern Ocean, with high concentration of ‘chlorophyll a’ during 2017. Most phytoplankton are buoyant and float in the upper part of the ocean, where sunlight penetrates the water. The term algae encompasses many types of aquatic photosynthetic organisms, both macroscopic, multicellular organisms like seaweed and microscopic, unicellular organisms like … Excess of carbon dioxide is deleterious to the world climate system. Red tides, blue-green algae, and cyanobacteria are examples of harmful algal blooms that can have severe impacts on human health, aquatic ecosystems, and the economy. Merismopedia blooms. Phytoplankton Interesting Facts. Water-resource managers worldwide are dealing with algal blooms, red tides, eutrophication, and other problems associated with phytoplankton in coastal ecosystems. An algal bloom or algae bloom is a rapid increase or accumulation in the population of algae in freshwater or marine water systems, and is often recognized by the discoloration in the water from their pigments. Some red tides are associated with phytoplankton that produce toxins, but fortunately for San Francisco Bay the algal bloom dissipated within a week before any harmful effects occurred. Phytoplankton blooms are created by an array of complex factors and influences that can combine to form conditions that cause a bloom, or a high concentration of phytoplankton in an area.