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.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:kaust.edu.sa/oai:repository.kaust.edu.sa:10754/666328 |
| Date | 11 1900 |
| Creators | Gittings, John |
| Contributors | Hoteit, Ibrahim, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE) Division, Moran, Xose Anxelu G., Raitsos, Dionysisos, Daffonchio, Daniele, Sathyendranath, Shubha |
| Source Sets | King Abdullah University of Science and Technology |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Dissertation |
| Rights | 2020-12-10, 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. |
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