A Contemporary Investigation on Phytoplankton Ecological Indicators in the Red Sea
Type
DissertationAuthors
Gittings, John
Advisors
Hoteit, Ibrahim
Committee members
Moran, Xose Anxelu G.
Raitsos, Dionysisos
Daffonchio, Daniele

Sathyendranath, Shubha
Program
Marine ScienceDate
2020-11Embargo End Date
2020-12-10Permanent link to this record
http://hdl.handle.net/10754/666328
Metadata
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At the time of archiving, the student author of this dissertation opted to temporarily restrict access to it. The full text of this dissertation became available to the public after the expiration of the embargo on 2020-12-10.Abstract
Ecological indicators are defined as quantifiable metrics that can be used to monitor the state of ecosystems and their response to environmental perturbations. In the global oceans, commonly used indicators are typically based on the presence and distribution of phytoplankton (as indexed by the concentration of chlorophyll-a [Chl-a]), which form the base of oceanic food webs. Phytoplankton phenology (the timing of phytoplankton growth) and phytoplankton size structure are particularly important ecological indicators that can be derived via ocean colour remote sensing. Phytoplankton phenology has a direct control on food availability, which subsequently impacts the survival of higher trophic levels and the structure of marine ecosystems. Meanwhile, phytoplankton size structure can be used to define the major functional groups that ultimately influence marine food web structure, biogeochemical cycling and carbon export. The Red Sea is a relatively unexplored tropical marine ecosystem, particularly in relation to its large-scale biological dynamics. In light of recent evidence of rapid regional warming, the need to monitor the response of the Red Sea to potential future ecosystem modifications is becoming more imminent. Using a combination of contemporary oceanographic tools, with an emphasis on ocean colour remote sensing, this PhD thesis attempts to validate the retrieval of phytoplankton ecological indicators in the Red Sea - specifically phytoplankton abundance, phenology and size structure. The interannual variability of both indicators and their linkages with the regional physical environment are also explored.Citation
Gittings, J. (2020). A Contemporary Investigation on Phytoplankton Ecological Indicators in the Red Sea. KAUST Research Repository. https://doi.org/10.25781/KAUST-23E5Jae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.25781/KAUST-23E5J