POSTER Session 2

ENHANCED WARMING AS AN AMPLIFIER OF PHYTOPLANKTON BLOOM IN COASTAL SEAS AROUND CHINA?

Under global warming scenario, the recurrent coastal phytoplankton blooms (CPBs) and the frequent incidence of extreme ocean warming events, known as heatwaves (MHWs), emerge as critical indicators, signaling the potential escalation of broader issues that require immediate attention. However, the broader impact of warming on these CPBs, especially in the coastal seas around China (CSAC), remains inadequately quantified, yet it is crucial for mitigating the ongoing rise in CPBs under the intensified warming conditions. Here we utilized 1km daily coastal algal bloom records spanning from 2003 to 2020, along with other abiotic datasets in the CSAC, to examine CPBs’ response to warming. Our findings indicate a 71% increase in bloom frequency across the CSAC, with 57% showing a positive correlation between bloom frequency and the rising sea surface temperature (SST). Within 70% of the observed co-occurrence zones, the positive effects of MHWs on bloom-affected areas occur more frequently than the negative effects, especially in spring and autumn. Identified hotspots zones like the Yangtze Delta, Fujian, Pearl River Delta, and Beibu Gulf exhibit earlier and more frequent blooms, mostly displaying positive responses to MHW events exceeding 20%. Our results highlight the amplified warming regime as a crucial background factor facilitating bloom intensification in productive coastal zones. Despite the projected trends towards shallower mixed layer depths and nutrient depletion in a warming future, efforts to reduce eutrophication in coastal areas will remain beneficial in mitigating the intensification of algal blooms.

Shangbo Yang, South University of Science and Technology, China, https://orcid.org/0009-0003-1837-393X

Lian Feng, South University of Science and Technology, China

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