Indicator: CO-44 Marine chlorophyll concentration
Data
Changes in marine chlorophyll concentrations would ideally be measured by ocean colour analysis around the coastline of the continent and in estuarine waterways.
Unfortunately, no continent-wide data are available to provide an overall summary of either the general Chlorophyll condition of Australian coastal waters, or even on the incidence, extent, duration or severity of algal blooms. There are no ongoing systematic monitoring programs across subregions that compare and track changes over time.
In Antarctica, satellite data have shown significant ecosystem-level effects of exposure to ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation. This occurred below a threshold stratospheric ozone concentration of 300 Dobson Units (DU), reducing the seasonal increase of chlorophyll by around 60 per cent at less than 300 DU. Inhibition occurs over time scales greater than one day, suggesting this is due to indirect effects of exposure to enhanced UVB radiation.
Source: Robinson SA, Turnbull JD and Lovelock CE 2005, Impact of changes in natural ultraviolet radiation on pigment composition, physiological and morphological characteristics of the Antarctic moss, Grimma antarctici.
What the data mean
No data on marine chlorophyll variations in Australian waters are available but the data from Antarctica suggest that stratospheric ozone depletion can disrupt marine chlorophyll production. This in turn has the potential to affect both other organisms which depend on marine vegetation for food or habitat, and the capacity of the oceans to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Data Limitations
No data available.
Issues for which this is an indicator and why
Coasts and Oceans — Condition of the ocean and coastal waters - Condition of marine vegetation
Changes in ocean colour mapped across the continent could give a broad indication of changes in marine chlorophyll and therefore of the condition of marine plant life at the continental level.
Coasts and Oceans — Condition of the ocean and coastal waters - Climatic and carbon dioxide factors
Changes in marine chlorophyll would be indicative of changes in the ocean’s capacity to absorb carbon dioxide.
Other indicators for this issue:
- CO-03 Sea level
- CO-04 Sea surface temperature variability
- CO-60 Sea salinity
- CO-72 Changes in sea acidity/alkalinity
- A-01 Annual variation in the Southern Oscillation Index
- A-41 Greenhouse - climate change projections
- AAT-12 Changes in colonies of plants on Heard Island
- AAT-14 Ice sheet mass balance and sea ice extent
- AAT-15 Glacier movement
Coasts and Oceans — Direct pressure of human activities on coasts and oceans - Direct pressure of coastal activities (other than shipping and fishing)
Excesses of some marine plants, such as algae, are indicative of excess nutrients in the water. Algal blooms may in turn place pressure on other marine life by blocking off sunlight from the surface and preventing oxygenation through photosynthesis. Bacteria breeding in dead algae can also deoxygenate water. In the absence of continental data on actual occurrences of algal blooms, continental information on ocean colour in areas close to coastal areas of intensive human activity could serve as an indicator of areas suffering or at risk of algal blooms
Other indicators for this issue:
- CO-27 Number, frequency, extent and volume of oil spills from all sources
- CO-28 Quantity of discharges of different substances from humans activities to coastal and marine waters
- CO-29 Change in area of coastal potential acid sulphate soils under development for human use
- CO-30 Length and area of coastal and estuarine foreshore altered for human purposes
- CO-32 Number of injuries to marine animals from marine debris
- CO-46 Comparative water quality of coastal lakes and lagoons (water quality gradient from north to south)
- CO-53 Evidence or examples of noise or visual disturbance of marine species by human activities
- CO-60 Sea salinity
- CO-65 Correlation between various human activities and introduction of coastal and marine species
- IW-12 Catchment nitrogen and phosphorus load
- HS-05 Total population and distribution
- IW-19 Exceedance of total nitrogen and phosphorus water quality triggers
- LD-40 Current research into pressures and contributions of naturalised introduced species
- BD-09 The change in extent of selected nationally significant invasive species
- BD-10 Examples of native species whose populations have declined where various invasive species have established resident populations
Coasts and Oceans — Contributions and pressures between the coasts and oceans and the atmosphere - Climate and carbon dioxide
Condition of marine plant life is a primary determinant of the ocean’s capacity to act as a greenhouse sink, and therefore of the contributions and pressures operating between the ocean and the atmosphere.
Other indicators for this issue:
- CO-03 Sea level
- CO-04 Sea surface temperature variability
- CO-60 Sea salinity
- CO-72 Changes in sea acidity/alkalinity
- CO-76 Examples of the impact of climate variability on selected coastal and marine species, habitats or ecosystems
- A-01 Annual variation in the Southern Oscillation Index
- A-41 Greenhouse - climate change projections
- BD-15 Examples of impacts of climate variability on selected species, habitats or ecosystems
- AAT-12 Changes in colonies of plants on Heard Island
- AAT-14 Ice sheet mass balance and sea ice extent
- AAT-15 Glacier movement
Coasts and Oceans — Contributions and pressures between the coasts and oceans and the atmosphere - Ozone depletion
Marine plant life, especially phytoplankton, is especially vulnerable to UV radiation. A change in health of phytoplankton, combined with an increase in UV radiation at the surface, could be indicative of increased pressure from ozone depletion.
Other indicators for this issue:
Biodiversity — Species, habitats and ecological communities - Condition of marine biodiversity: Condition of marine vegetation
The health of marine plant life is essential to the health of marine biodiversity more broadly. A change in ocean colour or number of reported algal blooms could be indicative of a change in the condition of marine plant life.
Biodiversity — Pressures on biodiversity - Climate variability
The capacity of marine plant life to absorb atmospheric carbon and release oxygen is an indirect indicator for the pressure of greenhouse gases on the atmosphere and thus for climate change.
Other indicators for this issue:
- BD-15 Examples of impacts of climate variability on selected species, habitats or ecosystems
- LD-05 Terrestrial carbon loss rate and rate of land carbon sequestration
- LD-24 Severe drought and wildfire correlation
- CO-03 Sea level
- CO-04 Sea surface temperature variability
- CO-60 Sea salinity
- CO-76 Examples of the impact of climate variability on selected coastal and marine species, habitats or ecosystems
- A-01 Annual variation in the Southern Oscillation Index
- A-02 Rainfall trends - annual mean rainfall
- A-03 Rainfall extremes - inter-annual variations in annual extreme rainfall
- A-04 Temperature trends - annual mean temperature anomalies
- A-05 Temperature extremes - percentage area of extreme annual mean temperatures
- AAT-15 Glacier movement
- A-36 Rainfall extremes - percentage area experiencing extreme wet and dry conditions
- A-37 Temperature trends - spatial trend in mean annual temperatures
- A-41 Greenhouse - climate change projections
- A-47 Rainfall deficiencies - drought
- AAT-12 Changes in colonies of plants on Heard Island
- AAT-14 Ice sheet mass balance and sea ice extent
Biodiversity — Pressures on biodiversity - Pressures on marine biodiversity: Pressures on coasts and oceans arising from multiple causes
The full range of human activities involving the coasts and oceans can impact on the condition of marine plant life.
Other indicators for this issue:
- CO-27 Number, frequency, extent and volume of oil spills from all sources
- CO-32 Number of injuries to marine animals from marine debris
- CO-53 Evidence or examples of noise or visual disturbance of marine species by human activities
- CO-65 Correlation between various human activities and introduction of coastal and marine species
Biodiversity — Pressures on biodiversity - Pressures on marine biodiversity: pressures of coastal activities
A range of coastal activities result in pollution which has the potential to impact on coastal and marine vegetation.
Other indicators for this issue:
- CO-27 Number, frequency, extent and volume of oil spills from all sources
- CO-28 Quantity of discharges of different substances from humans activities to coastal and marine waters
- CO-29 Change in area of coastal potential acid sulphate soils under development for human use
- CO-30 Length and area of coastal and estuarine foreshore altered for human purposes
- CO-32 Number of injuries to marine animals from marine debris
- CO-46 Comparative water quality of coastal lakes and lagoons (water quality gradient from north to south)
- CO-53 Evidence or examples of noise or visual disturbance of marine species by human activities
- CO-60 Sea salinity
- CO-65 Correlation between various human activities and introduction of coastal and marine species
- IW-12 Catchment nitrogen and phosphorus load
- IW-19 Exceedance of total nitrogen and phosphorus water quality triggers
- HS-05 Total population and distribution
Atmosphere — Climate variability and change - Greenhouse
Marine carbon helps to absorb atmospheric carbon. Changes in marine carbon levels could signal a reduced or increased capacity for the oceans to absorb greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.
Other indicators for this issue:
- A-07 Greenhouse - carbon dioxide concentrations and growth rates
- A-08 Greenhouse - change in total carbon dioxide equivalent emissions by gas
- A-38 Greenhouse - methane concentrations and growth rates
- A-39 Greenhouse - nitrous oxide concentrations and growth rates
- A-40 Greenhouse - change in total carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per capita and gross domestic product
- A-41 Greenhouse - climate change projections
- A-42 Greenhouse - carbon dioxide equivalent emissions by sector
- A-43 Greenhouse - carbon dioxide equivalent emissions by primary fuel type
- A-44 Greenhouse - carbon dioxide equivalent emissions by mode of travel and road transport emissions by vehicle type
- A-45 Greenhouse - agricultural sector carbon dioxide equivalent emissions
- A-46 Greenhouse - carbon dioxide equivalent emissions from land use, land use change and forestry
- Greenhouse - climate change projections
- LD-05 Terrestrial carbon loss rate and rate of land carbon sequestration
- LD-39 Change in biomass stock
- CO-03 Sea level
- CO-04 Sea surface temperature variability
- CO-60 Sea salinity
- AAT-12 Changes in colonies of plants on Heard Island
- AAT-14 Ice sheet mass balance and sea ice extent
- AAT-15 Glacier movement
Further Information
- Algal blooms
- NSW Algal Blooms Database
- Bibliography ocean colour
- Optical measurements: phytoplankton pigments absorbtion characteristics
- Optical Methods for Interdisciplinary Research in the Coastal Ocean
Key
Links to another web site
Links to data in the DRS
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