Climate drivers of phytoplankton production along the Chilean coast

Abstract

The west coast of South America is known for its high primary productivity. The level of phytoplankton can be measured through satellite images that detect chlorophyll (Chl), which is dependent on several oceanographic and meteorological parameters. Climate drivers such as El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Southeast Pacific Subtropical Anticyclone (SPSA) affect these parameters and, consequently, the phytoplankton. The objective of this study was to identify the impact of ENSO on SPSA, climate variables, and phytoplankton patterns. Composites were created using the years selected with either strongly positive or negative ENSO to understand their influence on different parameters. To create the Chl composite, it was necessary to extend it using Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA) based on the sea surface temperature (SST) pattern. The study concludes that ENSO has a noticeable impact on Chl, mainly in the Southern Zone during the warm season. This is driven by the expansion of SPSA to the South, which increases the sea level pressure (SLP) in that region. However, predicting the Chl concentration has a high degree of uncertainty due to its complexity.