Phytoplankton in the upper water column experience a dynamic light field including high energy
ultraviolet (UV) radiation. UV-absorbing compounds, including mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs), may shield cells from structural and physiological damage. While MAAs have been studied in Antarctic waters, the Southern Ocean, Bermuda and the United Kingdom, research on these pigments has not previously occurred in coastal temperate waters of the United States. Through the UNH Coastal Ocean Observing Center’s monthly sampling program in the western Gulf of Maine, I am assessing seasonal and interannual variability in phytoplankton absorption characteristics and MAAs from winter 2005 – summer 2009.
To date, UV-absorbing pigment expression exhibits distinct variation with both time of year and depth. Absorption peaks are correlated with increased surface irradiance (PAR) and stronger water column stratification during spring and summer months. In the highly variable marine environment of the Gulf of Maine, fluctuations in phytoplankton assemblage may have significant impacts. Some bloom-forming species of phytoplankton that are best able to produce MAAs in order to survive higher levels of UV radiation may also generate harmful algal blooms in coastal areas (ex. Alexandrium fundyense in the eastern Gulf of Maine).
I also assist with maintenance and data validation efforts for the Great Bay Coastal Buoy. This monitoring platform contains instruments that measure a suite of water quality and meteorological parameters every half hour. Data is sent to a base station by telemetry and then made available to scientists, policy makers, educators and other users in numerical and graphical forms. Comparison against a multi-year historical dataset helps us assess the rate and intensity of observed physical, chemical and biological changes in the Great Bay estuarine ecosystem.
