Ocean climate anomalies and the ecology of the North Sea
Edwards, M.; Beaugrand, G.; Reid, P.C.; Rowden, A.A.; Jones, M.B. (2002). Ocean climate anomalies and the ecology of the North Sea. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 239: 1-10
In: Marine Ecology Progress Series. Inter-Research: Oldendorf/Luhe. ISSN 0171-8630; e-ISSN 1616-1599, more
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| Keywords |
Aquatic communities > Plankton > Phytoplankton
Aquatic communities > Plankton > Zooplankton
Climatic changes
Collecting devices > Plankton collecting devices
Data > Hydrographic data > Salinity data
Environmental effects
Fauna > Aquatic organisms > Aquatic animals > Shellfish > Marine organisms > Marine crustaceans
Population characteristics > Biomass
Properties > Water properties > Temperature > Water temperature > Surface temperature
Temporal variations > Long-term changes
Temporal variations > Periodic variations > Seasonal variations
ANE, North Sea [Marine Regions]
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| Abstract |
Long-term changes in the plankton of the North Sea are investigated using data from the continuous plankton recorder (CPR) survey. During the last 4 decades, there appears to have been 2 large anomalous periods within the plankton data set, one that occurred in the late 1970s and the other in the late 1980s. These anomalous periods seem to be largely synchronous with unusual ocean climate conditions that have occurred episodically over a timescale of decades. The unusual ocean climate conditions prevailing at these 2 time periods appear to contain important hydrographical elements that involve oceanic incursions into the North Sea. This paper, using data from the CPR survey and providing evidence from other studies, focuses on the relationship between the long-term changes in the biology of the North Sea and these 2 exceptional hydro-climatic events. Here, we suggest that while atmospheric variability and associated changes in regional temperatures have a dominant effect on the marine environment, oceanic influences on the ecology of a semi-closed environment such as the North Sea may have been underestimated in the past. |
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