Characterization of the Phytoplankton Phenology in the Subarctic Pacific Ocean

Abstract:

UCSC GEOPATHS is an NSF-supported initiative to improve student success in the geosciences, driven by a desire to broaden participation. One component of the program is undergraduate student internship that provide authentic, career-relevant experiences – across all employment sectors – to increase student engagement in the geoscience pipeline.

My GEOPATHS Internship at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) focuses on analyzing data from Biogeochemistry (BGC) Argo floats in the Subarctic Pacific Ocean, specifically in the Gulf of Alaska. These floats have sensors on them that record many different parameters including chlorophyll-a, phytoplankton carbon biomass, salinity, temperature, and a variety of other metrics. Based on the data gathered our team is going to assess the controls on phytoplankton biomass during different portions of the year. These measurements are compared to those from satellites to see how well the Argo floats capture the data. It is believed that phytoplankton blooms typically begin in the springtime because of increased sunlight but, it has been recently suggested that the blooms begin accumulating in the early parts of winter. Using the data collected from the Argo floats and satellites my team will try to back up this hypothesis using an assortment of techniques including statistical analysis and visualizations. I will share the results of my project and experiences in the program.