Michel Lunven

In-situ depth profiling of particle sizes

A new in-situ particle-size profiling system is presented. It allows direct determination of particle distribution spectra in 30 size classes ranging from 0.7 to 400 μm-equivalent diameter as well as an unbiased estimation of the total particle load. This profiler includes among standard probes a particle-size analyser. This new probe uses the well-known principle of diffraction pattern analysis previously used in bench-top instruments. However, the rigorous mechanical tolerances imposed by oceanographic use required a completely new design. Its description and validation is presented as well as some oceanographic applications. This instrument presents numerous advantages in oceanographic research. Its use in different European waters has demonstrated its reliability and allowed the description of common features of the profiles, particularly the accumulation of aggregates or mucilages and, in some cases, the confinement of dinoflagellates at the pycnocline. This makes possible a new sampling strategy for toxic dinoflagellates and improvements in the study of sedimentation and flocculation processes.

Motility and autotoxicity in Karenia mikimotoi (Dinophyceae)

Karenia mikimotoi is one of the most common red-tide dinoflagellates proliferating in the eastern North Atlantic and around Japan. Kills of marine fauna are associated with its blooms. In mixed water columns it migrates vertically, while in stratified water columns, the population remains confined within pycnocline layers. Wind events, increasing mixing and agitation initiate declines in its populations. This paper is focused on the formulation of mortality rate relative to shear rate. Autotoxicity is demonstrated by the use of a synthetic toxin. Bioconvection observed in cultures allows the establishment of a trade-off between phototropism, which leads to the local accumulation of cells, and their autotoxicity, which would prevent cell concentration. The combination of these processes allows diffusion of the toxin into the underlying water, where it subsequently degrades. Confinement of the population in the pycnocline layer results also from another trade-off between growth conditions and shear-rate-modulated mortality. A simplified encounter kernel was introduced into the population dynamics equation to account for a mortality factor. Under realistic forcing conditions with a small number of parameters, this model reproduced the confinement of the population in the pycnocline layer, the proper timing and the duration of the recurrent K. mikimotoi bloom on the Ushant front (France).

In situ video and diffraction analysis of marine particles

A design for a new underwater video-system to detect and observe suspended particles is presented. Particles are collected and isolated in a rectangular box where they are highly illuminated by a white light plane. The total field of view is determined. The camera, equipped with a remote controlled zoom, can resolve particles sizes ranging from 25 μm to several millimetres. Real-time image analyses are therefore performed. Particle counts and size spectra are calculated and displayed. Total light intensity scattered by the illuminated particles is closely related to the back-scattering values determined by an optical back-scatter sensor. A particle size analyser using diffraction analysis is associated to this video-system on a custom profiler. Hydrological parameters are measured by a standard CTD probe associated to a chlorophyll sensor. Results are acquired and graphically presented in real time. This custom profiler presents numerous advantages in oceanographic research. Two examples of its use in different coastal areas are presented. In an estuary, temporal evolution of particle characteristics was described in relation to the tide cycle. While the video-system allows direct visualization and characterization of the largest particles, the particle-size analyser performs precise quantification of the finest ones. It was shown that the two methods were in accordance for quantification of large aggregates, which were observed around slack tide when salinity decreased. Video analyses cannot be performed above 25 mg l −1 dry weight equivalent. The system reliability, resolution and limits were also demonstrated during a cruise in the Gulf of Finland. A typical profile is presented here showing different layers, one characterized by the association of heterotrophic flagellates and detritals, and another dominated by zooplankton, the surface layer being characterized by cyanobacterial colonies. Video associated to diffraction analyses allows the study of flocculation processes in estuaries and a detailed description of thin layers.

Dual-frequency ADCPs measuring turbidity

A pair of self-contained acoustic Doppler current profilers (SC-ADCPs) operating with different frequencies were moored on a muddy sea bottom at about 20 m depth in the Bay of Vilaine off the French Atlantic coast. With their acoustic beams oriented upwards, the SC-ADCPs ensonified most of the water column. The results of several months of in situ recorded echo intensity data spanning 2 years (2003 to 2004) from the dual-frequency ADCPs are presented in this paper. The aim was to estimate suspended particle mass concentration and mean size. A concentration index CI is proposed for the estimation of particle concentration. Based on theory the CI—unlike the volume backscatter strength—does not depend on particle size. Compared with in situ optical data, the CI shows reasonable precision but not increased with respect to that of the highest-frequency backscatter strength. Concerning the mean particle size, despite a lack of quantitative validation with optical particle-size measurements, the method yielded a qualitative discrimination of mineral (small) and organic (large) particles. This supports the potential of dual-frequency ADCPs to quantitatively determine particle size. A cross-calibration of the transducers of each ADCP shows that a specific component of the precision of the backscatter strength measured by ADCP depends on the acoustic frequency, the cell thickness and the ensemble integration time. Based on these results, the use of two ADCPs operating with distinctly different frequencies (two octaves apart) or a single dual-frequency ADCP is recommended.

Suspended sediments in a macrotidal estuary: comparison and use of different sensors

Abstract Measurements made using an in situ particle-sizer (PSA) were compared to those of an optical backscatter sensor (OBS) in a macrotidal estuary. Both estimate the total volume of particles. After comparison with dry weight of suspended matter sampled in the study area, the different measurements were converted into dry weight. In three different kinetic energy regimes, times series were coherent for most of the observations. Discrepancies of suspended sediment concentrations estimated by both sensors appeared under specific hydrodynamic conditions: they were related to occurrences of definite particle populations. Overestimations and underestimations of measurements by the instruments depend on the optical principles of the sensors (backscatter and diffraction). Flocs appearing at low tide with low currents are detected by the PSA and not detected by the OBS which is more sensitive to finer particles and re-suspension of sedimentary particles from the bed, induced by high current velocities during flood tide.

Biophysical interactions control the size and abundance of large phytoplankton chains at the Ushant tidal front.

Phytoplankton blooms are usually dominated by chain-forming diatom species that can alter food pathways from primary producers to predators by reducing the interactions between intermediate trophic levels. The food-web modifications are determined by the length of the chains; however, the estimation is biased because traditional sampling strategies damage the chains and, therefore, change the phytoplankton size structure. Sedimentological studies around oceanic fronts have shown high concentrations of giant diatom mats (>1 cm in length), suggesting that the size of diatom chains is underestimated in the pelagic realm. Here, we investigate the variability in size and abundance of phytoplankton chains at the Ushant tidal front (NW France) using the Video Fluorescence Analyzer (VFA), a novel and non-invasive system. CTD and Scanfish profiling characterized a strong temperature and chlorophyll front, separating mixed coastal waters from the oceanic-stratified domain. In order to elucidate spring-neap variations in the front, vertical microstructure profiler was used to estimate the turbulence and vertical nitrate flux. Key findings were: (1) the VFA system recorded large diatom chains up to 10.7 mm in length; (2) chains were mainly distributed in the frontal region, with maximum values above the pycnocline in coincidence with the maximum chlorophyll; (3) the diapycnal fluxes of nitrate enabled the maintenance of the bloom in the frontal area throughout the spring-neap tidal cycle; (4) from spring to neap tide the chains length was significantly reduced; (5) during neap tide, the less intense vertical diffusion of nutrients, as well as the lower turbulence around the chains, intensified nutrient-depleted conditions and, thus, very large chains became disadvantageous. To explain this pattern, we suggest that size plasticity is an important ecological trait driving phytoplankton species competition. Although this plasticity behavior is well known from experiments in the laboratory, it has never been reported from observations in the field.

Distribution and dynamics of two species of Dinophyceae producing high biomass blooms over the French Atlantic Shelf

The frequency and distribution of high biomass blooms produced by two dinoflagellate species were analysed along the French continental shelf from 1998 to 2012. Two species were specifically studied: Karenia mikimotoi and Lepidodinium chlorophorum. Based on remote-sensing reflectances at six channels (410, 430, 480, 530, 550 and 670nm), satellite indices were created to discriminate the species forming the blooms. A comparison with observations showed that the identification was good for both species in spite of a lower specificity for L. chlorophorum. The overall analysis of the satellite indices, in association with some monitoring data and cruise observations, highlights the regularity of these events and their extent on the continental shelf. L. chlorophorum blooms may occur all along the South Coast of Brittany. All the coastal areas under the influence of river plumes and the stratified northern shelf area of the Western English Channel appear to be areas of bloom events for both species. These two species are likely to be in competitive exclusion as they share the same spatial distribution and the timing of their bloom is very close. Finally, due to the scarcity of off-shore observations, these satellite indices provide useful information regarding HABs management and the development of a warning system along the French coast.