Channing Prend – oceanbites

Impact of Climate Change on Antarctic Waters

A recent study demonstrate the critical importance of Antarctic winds and meltwater to modeling the recent observed changes in Southern…

Biogeochemistry Biological oceanography Climate Change Glaciers

Icebergs Fertilize Phytoplankton Growth

Icebergs contain iron, the limiting nutrient for phytoplankton in the polar regions. Icebergs, therefore, have the potential to stimulate biological…

Biogeochemistry Paleoceanography Physical oceanography Sea Ice

Key Role of Sea Ice in Glacial Cycles

A recent study using an idealized model finds that changes in Antarctic sea ice and circulation, triggered by atmospheric cooling,…

Biological oceanography Physical oceanography Volcanoes

Phytoplankton Bloom Driven by Volcanic Eruption

A large volcanic eruption in 2018 deposited tons of lava into the Pacific Ocean. Scientists were puzzled that the lava-impacted…

Biogeochemistry Physical oceanography

How important is carbon export by ocean eddies?

A recent paper uses an ocean model to investigate the relative importance of carbon sequestration by eddies transporting phytoplankton into…

Biogeochemistry Physical oceanography

Antarctic phytoplankton blooms linked to seafloor topography

A recent study uses observations from robotic floats to examine phytoplankton blooms in the Southern Ocean. The data show that…

Physical oceanography Sea Ice

What caused a massive hole in Antarctic sea ice?

In 2016 and 2017, a massive hole developed in the Antarctic sea ice. Scientists investigated the processes that led to…

Physical oceanography

Reevaluating the Ocean Conveyer Belt

A recent study suggests that surface processes in the Indian and Pacific Oceans may be more important to global ocean…

Biological oceanography Climate Change Physical oceanography Remote Sensing Sea Ice

Phytoplankton Expanding Northward as Arctic Sea Ice Retreats

A recent study uses satellite data to show that Arctic sea ice retreat is causing changes in the timing and…

Biogeochemistry Biological oceanography Physical oceanography

Mixing Up Microalgae

A recent study shows that within the mixed layer—the region of the upper ocean where temperature and salinity are homogeneous—biological…

Biochemistry Climate Change Physical oceanography Remote Sensing

Antarctic Eddies Suck Carbon from the Atmosphere

A recent study from researchers at the University of Tasmania investigates the relationship between ocean eddies and phytoplankton growth in…

Climate Change Conservation Human impacts Policy Sea Ice

Who Governs the Ocean Around Antarctica?

Antarctica is often considered an untouched wilderness. While its location is remote, the region is hardly undisturbed by human activity.…

Biogeochemistry Climate Change Physical oceanography Sea Ice

Sea Ice Modifies Biological Processes

A recent study investigates the relationship between sea ice variability and phytoplankton growth in climate models. Phytoplankton are responsible for…

Climate Change Physical oceanography Sea Ice

Sea Ice Drives Global Circulation

A recent study uses observational data from the Antarctic to show that sea ice processes help drive the global current…

Biogeochemistry Climate Change Physical oceanography

Predicted Change to the Southern Ocean Silicate Front

The Southern Ocean Silicate Front (SF) is an important boundary separating waters that are silicate-rich and waters that are silicate-poor.…

Atmospheric Science Climate Change Physical oceanography Sea Ice

Why is Antarctic Sea Ice Growing?

Despite increases in global ocean temperatures, long-term trends actually show an increase in Antarctic sea ice extent. There are a…

Physical oceanography

Around the Antarctic in 17 Years

The transport of water from the deep ocean to the surface has many important impacts on global climate. By releasing…

Climate Change Glaciers Physical oceanography Sea Ice Sea-level Rise

Iceberg Impacts

Accurately predicting ice sheet melt location and timing is crucial to understanding and modeling global climate. In order to do…

Sea Ice

Sea Ice Mixes it Up

Sea ice extent and concentration is driven by a complex combination of circulation and mixing, as well as interaction with…

Biogeochemistry Climate Change Physical oceanography Sea Ice

Fate of Dissolved Carbon in the Antarctic

The ocean surrounding Antarctica, called the Southern Ocean, accounts for about 40% of the total global ocean carbon uptake. This…