Upwelling Dynamics and Phytoplankton Ecology

Coastal upwelling is a wind‐driven process that transports nutrient‐rich deep waters into the euphotic zone, fuelling phytoplankton growth and sustaining some of the world’s most productive marine ecosystems. In eastern boundary upwelling systems, seasonal variations in alongshore winds, continental shelf geometry and ocean stratification combine to regulate nutrient supply and the structure of phytoplankton communities. Diatoms often dominate in newly upwelled waters, rapidly converting inorganic nutrients into biomass, whereas smaller flagellates and picoeukaryotes flourish as nutrient levels decline. This succession underpins food‐web dynamics, influences fisheries yields and mediates carbon export to the deep ocean. Variations in nutrient regeneration, mixed‐layer depth and hydrographic filaments further shape the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of primary production. Contemporary concerns include the intensification of upwelling‐favourable winds under climate change, the emergence of harmful algal blooms with attendant hypoxia risks, and shifts in phytoplankton community composition that may alter biogeochemical cycling and coastal water quality.

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Upwelling Dynamics and Phytoplankton Ecology publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in upwelling dynamics and phytoplankton ecology across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Upwelling: The wind‐induced rise of deep, nutrient‐rich waters into the surface ocean.

Euphotic zone: The upper layer of the ocean where sufficient light penetrates to sustain photosynthesis.

Chlorophyll-a: The primary photosynthetic pigment in phytoplankton, used as a proxy for biomass.

Net primary production: The rate at which phytoplankton convert inorganic carbon into organic matter after respiratory losses.

Eastern boundary upwelling system: A coastal region where prevailing winds along the eastern margins of ocean basins drive upwelling.

Redfield ratio: The canonical atomic ratio of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus (106:16:1) in marine organic matter.

References

1. Satellite Ocean Color Based Harmful Algal Bloom Indicators for Aquaculture Decision Support in the Southern Benguela. Frontiers in Marine Science (2020).
2. Suffocating Phytoplankton, Suffocating Waters—Red Tides and Anoxia. Frontiers in Marine Science (2016).
3. The significance of nitrogen regeneration for new production within a filament of the Mauritanian upwelling system. Biogeosciences (2016).
4. Marine Microbial Community Composition During the Upwelling Season in the Southern Benguela. Frontiers in Marine Science (2020).
5. Biogeochemical Response of the Water Column of Concepción Bay, Chile, to a New Regime of Atmospheric and Oceanographic Variability. Geosciences (2024).