Marine microbiology from space

Rafel Simó, Sergio Vallina, Jordi Dachs & Carles Pedrós-Alió

Institut de Ciències del MarCMIMA, CSIC

Barcelona

Marine microbes through the microscope: small but many

Ocean color

SeaWiffs web page

Manymicrobes

Very few microbes

The many troubles of a well meaning

satellite

Electronic signal in each pixel

Raw Data

Level 0

Each pixel with position and time

Level 1

Radiance at the stellite per pixel

Sensor calibratio

n

Radiance at Earth’s surface

Level 2

Atmospheric correction with masks and flags

Biogeophysical data

Level 2

Algorithms

Level 3 Data in bins

From sensor to image

Http://daac.gsfc.nasa.gov/CAMPAIGN_DOCS/OCDST/classic_scenes

A ship would take

10 years of continuous sampling to get the same

amount of data points

Phototrophic microbes visible

thanks to Chlorophyll a

CZCS 27/11/81

DMSPDMSP

Marine phytoplankton produce DMSP forMarine phytoplankton produce DMSP forits role in:its role in:

-osmoregulation-osmoregulation-cryoprotection-cryoprotection-anti-oxidant-anti-oxidant-methyl donor-methyl donor-overflow of excess S and reducing power-overflow of excess S and reducing power-chemosensory and chemotactic behaviour-chemosensory and chemotactic behaviour

ubiquitous in the oceans!ubiquitous in the oceans!

DMSDMS : dimethyl sulphide : dimethyl sulphide

(CH(CH33))22SS

DMSPDMSP: dimethylsulphoniopropionate: dimethylsulphoniopropionate

(CH(CH33))22SS++-CH-CH22-CH-CH22-COO-COO--

is transformed into

main biological source of S to atmosphere

Microbial community(plankton)

Atmosphere

Ocean

Particles

Temperature

DMS

Solar RadiationAlbedo

Microbes contribute to climate regulation through DMS production

Charlson, Lovelock, Andreae & Warren (1987) Nature 326:655

Earth without clouds

Earth with clouds: albedo is VERY important

N AtlanticNW MediterraneanGulf of MaineEquatorial PacificNorth SeaNE PacificSargasso Sea

Mixed Layer Depth (m)

DM

S y

ield

(%)

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

100

80

60

40

20

0

Simó & Pedrós-Alió, Nature 402: 396-399 (1999)

The % of DMSP converted to DMS depends on Mixed Layer Depth

CHLCHL : SeaWiFS 1997-2000 : SeaWiFS 1997-2000

W. Gregg (GSFC, NASA)W. Gregg (GSFC, NASA)

monthlymonthly

MLDMLD : Samuels & Cox (Levitus) : Samuels & Cox (Levitus)

t t = 0.125 = 0.125 kg mkg m-3-3

monthlymonthly

R 2 = 0 .8 2 5 5

0

2

4

6

8

10

0 2 4 6 8 10

Observed DMS (nM)

Pre

dict

ed D

MS

(nM

)

North AtlanticGulf of MexicoEast China SeaEast MediterraneanWest MediterraneanSargasso Sea

Southern ocean (SOIREE)

Equatorial Pacific (IRONEX II)

Equatorial Pacific

Validation of the algorythm: average values from world’s oceans

Simó & Dachs, Global Biogeochem. Cycles, 2002

DMS conc. (nM) january

decemberDMS conc. (nM)

SSTSST : ATSR-2 : ATSR-2

monthlymonthly

WIND SPEEDWIND SPEED : NOAA SSM/I : NOAA SSM/I

monthly, Weibull correctionmonthly, Weibull correction

Sea-to-air flux:Sea-to-air flux:

F = k · F = k · [DMS] [DMS]

January February March

April May June

July August September

October November December

180W 90W 0 90E 180EW 90W 0 90E 180EW 90W 0 90E 180E

90 N

60 N

30 N

0

30 S

60 S

90 S

90 N

60 N

30 N

0

30 S

60 S

90 S

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

180 360 540 720

60

120

180

240

300

360

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

180 360 540 720

60

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360

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

180 360 540 720

60

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360

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

180 360 540 720

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360

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

180 360 540 720

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0 5 10 15 20 25 30

180 360 540 720

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0 5 10 15 20 25 30

180 360 540 720

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0 5 10 15 20 25 30

180 360 540 720

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0 5 10 15 20 25 30

180 360 540 720

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360

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

180 360 540 720

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0 5 10 15 20 25 30

180 360 540 720

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0 5 10 15 20 25 30

180 360 540 720

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360

DMS Flux (M m-2 d-1)

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

180 360 540 720

60

120

180

240

300

360

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

ANNUAL OCEAN-TO-ATMOSPHERE ANNUAL OCEAN-TO-ATMOSPHERE EMISSION OF DMSEMISSION OF DMS

23 - 3223 - 32 Tg S y Tg S y-1-1

anthropogenic ~ 67anthropogenic ~ 67volcanic ~ 7volcanic ~ 7

AEROSOL OPTICALAEROSOL OPTICALDEPTHDEPTH(AOD)(AOD)

POTENTIAL CLOUD POTENTIAL CLOUD CONDENSATION NUCLEI CONDENSATION NUCLEI (CCN)(CCN)

MODISMODIS

COEFF. CORRELATION

CCN vs DMS conc

annual series, 7x7º

ATMOSPHERIC SAMPLING STATIONS (Univ. Miami)ATMOSPHERIC SAMPLING STATIONS (Univ. Miami)+ Cape Grim + Amsterdam Island+ Cape Grim + Amsterdam Island

DMS predicted

CCN MODIS

MSA measured

blue: DMSblack: CCNgreen: MSA

J F M A M J J A S O N DDM

S –

CC

N –

MS

A (

stan

dard

ized

)

MACE HEAD

blue: DMSblack: CCNgreen: MSA

J F M A M J J A S O N DDM

S –

CC

N –

MS

A ( s

tand

ardi

zed)

AMSTERDAM IS.

DMSCCNMSA

DMS vs CCNSPEARMAN'S

CORREL. COEFF. :

-0,5385

blue: DMSblack: CCNgreen: MSA

J F M A M J J A S O N D

DM

S –

CC

N –

MS

A (s

tand

ardi

zed)

KOREA

DMSCCNMSA

blue: DMSblack: CCNgreen: MSA

J F M A M J J A S O N DDM

S –

CC

N –

MS

A (s

tand

ardi

zed)

HAWAII