Wet and dry seasons modulate coastal coccolithophore dynamics off South-western Nigeria (Gulf of Guinea)

Coccolithophores are calcifying unicellular phytoplankton at the base oxf the marine food web, playing a key role in pelagic calcium carbonate production. While their sensitivity to environmental change is well established, their ecological importance in tropical coastal systems remains underexplore...

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Autores: Adekunbi, Falilu O., Grelaud, Michael|||0000-0001-8649-9743, Langer, Gerald|||0000-0002-7211-4889, Chukwu, Lucian O., Alvarez, Marta|||0000-0002-5075-9344, Odunuga, Shakirudeen, Schulz, Kai G.|||0000-0002-8481-4639, Ziveri, Patrizia|||0000-0002-5576-0301
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2025
País:España
Institución:Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Repositorio:Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ddd.uab.cat:324001
Acceso en línea:https://ddd.uab.cat/record/324001
https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.5194/bg-22-7865-2025
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:SDG 13 - Climate Action
SDG 14 - Life Below Water
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spelling Wet and dry seasons modulate coastal coccolithophore dynamics off South-western Nigeria (Gulf of Guinea)Adekunbi, Falilu O.Grelaud, Michael|||0000-0001-8649-9743Langer, Gerald|||0000-0002-7211-4889Chukwu, Lucian O.Alvarez, Marta|||0000-0002-5075-9344Odunuga, ShakirudeenSchulz, Kai G.|||0000-0002-8481-4639Ziveri, Patrizia|||0000-0002-5576-0301SDG 13 - Climate ActionSDG 14 - Life Below WaterCoccolithophores are calcifying unicellular phytoplankton at the base oxf the marine food web, playing a key role in pelagic calcium carbonate production. While their sensitivity to environmental change is well established, their ecological importance in tropical coastal systems remains underexplored, particularly along the African coastline. Here, we present the first multi-seasonal assessment of living coccolithophore communities off Lagos, southwest Nigeria, in the Gulf of Guinea. Periodic sampling was conducted at three coastal stations from December 2018 to April 2021 to evaluate species composition, standing stocks, diversity, and ecological drivers. Coccolithophore abundances showed clear seasonal patterns, with significantly higher (p<0.05) standing stocks and diversity during the wet season. Total abundances ranged from 0.3×103 cells L-1 in the dry season to 5.5×103 cells L-1 in the wet season, with Gephyrocapsa oceanica dominating dry periods and Emiliania huxleyi prevailing during the wet season. Seasonal changes were linked to the migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), which modulates precipitation and current direction along the Gulf of Guinea. Interestingly, chlorophyll a concentrations appeared decoupled from coccolithophore abundance, suggesting other phytoplankton groups may drive primary productivity in this region. Despite regional differences in oceanographic settings, the observed standing stocks fall within the global range of coastal coccolithophore assemblages, supporting the hypothesis that these communities are shaped by a set of common ecological constraints. As tropical coastal regions already face multiple pressures from climate change, projected southward shifts of the ITCZ could alter precipitation regimes and current dynamics, with potential implications for coccolithophore community composition and coastal biogeochemical cycling. 22025-01-0120252025-01-01Articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501VoRhttp://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85info:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdfhttps://ddd.uab.cat/record/324001https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.5194/bg-22-7865-2025reponame:Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UABinstname:Universitat Autònoma de BarcelonaInglésengAgencia Estatal de Investigación https://doi.org/10.13039/501100011033 PID2020-113526RB-I00Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades https://doi.org/10.13039/100014440 PCI2025-163190Generalitat de Catalunya https://doi.org/10.13039/501100002809 2021/SGR-00640Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades https://doi.org/10.13039/100014440 CEX2024-001506-MAgencia Estatal de Investigación https://doi.org/10.13039/501100011033 PTA2016-12441-IMinisterio de Ciencia e Innovación https://doi.org/10.13039/501100004837 PEJ2018-003991-Aopen accesshttp://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:ddd.uab.cat:3240012026-06-06T12:50:31Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Wet and dry seasons modulate coastal coccolithophore dynamics off South-western Nigeria (Gulf of Guinea)
title Wet and dry seasons modulate coastal coccolithophore dynamics off South-western Nigeria (Gulf of Guinea)
spellingShingle Wet and dry seasons modulate coastal coccolithophore dynamics off South-western Nigeria (Gulf of Guinea)
Adekunbi, Falilu O.
SDG 13 - Climate Action
SDG 14 - Life Below Water
title_short Wet and dry seasons modulate coastal coccolithophore dynamics off South-western Nigeria (Gulf of Guinea)
title_full Wet and dry seasons modulate coastal coccolithophore dynamics off South-western Nigeria (Gulf of Guinea)
title_fullStr Wet and dry seasons modulate coastal coccolithophore dynamics off South-western Nigeria (Gulf of Guinea)
title_full_unstemmed Wet and dry seasons modulate coastal coccolithophore dynamics off South-western Nigeria (Gulf of Guinea)
title_sort Wet and dry seasons modulate coastal coccolithophore dynamics off South-western Nigeria (Gulf of Guinea)
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Adekunbi, Falilu O.
Grelaud, Michael|||0000-0001-8649-9743
Langer, Gerald|||0000-0002-7211-4889
Chukwu, Lucian O.
Alvarez, Marta|||0000-0002-5075-9344
Odunuga, Shakirudeen
Schulz, Kai G.|||0000-0002-8481-4639
Ziveri, Patrizia|||0000-0002-5576-0301
author Adekunbi, Falilu O.
author_facet Adekunbi, Falilu O.
Grelaud, Michael|||0000-0001-8649-9743
Langer, Gerald|||0000-0002-7211-4889
Chukwu, Lucian O.
Alvarez, Marta|||0000-0002-5075-9344
Odunuga, Shakirudeen
Schulz, Kai G.|||0000-0002-8481-4639
Ziveri, Patrizia|||0000-0002-5576-0301
author_role author
author2 Grelaud, Michael|||0000-0001-8649-9743
Langer, Gerald|||0000-0002-7211-4889
Chukwu, Lucian O.
Alvarez, Marta|||0000-0002-5075-9344
Odunuga, Shakirudeen
Schulz, Kai G.|||0000-0002-8481-4639
Ziveri, Patrizia|||0000-0002-5576-0301
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv SDG 13 - Climate Action
SDG 14 - Life Below Water
topic SDG 13 - Climate Action
SDG 14 - Life Below Water
description Coccolithophores are calcifying unicellular phytoplankton at the base oxf the marine food web, playing a key role in pelagic calcium carbonate production. While their sensitivity to environmental change is well established, their ecological importance in tropical coastal systems remains underexplored, particularly along the African coastline. Here, we present the first multi-seasonal assessment of living coccolithophore communities off Lagos, southwest Nigeria, in the Gulf of Guinea. Periodic sampling was conducted at three coastal stations from December 2018 to April 2021 to evaluate species composition, standing stocks, diversity, and ecological drivers. Coccolithophore abundances showed clear seasonal patterns, with significantly higher (p<0.05) standing stocks and diversity during the wet season. Total abundances ranged from 0.3×103 cells L-1 in the dry season to 5.5×103 cells L-1 in the wet season, with Gephyrocapsa oceanica dominating dry periods and Emiliania huxleyi prevailing during the wet season. Seasonal changes were linked to the migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), which modulates precipitation and current direction along the Gulf of Guinea. Interestingly, chlorophyll a concentrations appeared decoupled from coccolithophore abundance, suggesting other phytoplankton groups may drive primary productivity in this region. Despite regional differences in oceanographic settings, the observed standing stocks fall within the global range of coastal coccolithophore assemblages, supporting the hypothesis that these communities are shaped by a set of common ecological constraints. As tropical coastal regions already face multiple pressures from climate change, projected southward shifts of the ITCZ could alter precipitation regimes and current dynamics, with potential implications for coccolithophore community composition and coastal biogeochemical cycling.
publishDate 2025
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2
2025-01-01
2025
2025-01-01
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv Article
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
VoR
http://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85
dc.type.openaire.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
format article
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv https://ddd.uab.cat/record/324001
https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.5194/bg-22-7865-2025
url https://ddd.uab.cat/record/324001
https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.5194/bg-22-7865-2025
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
eng
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv Agencia Estatal de Investigación https://doi.org/10.13039/501100011033 PID2020-113526RB-I00
Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades https://doi.org/10.13039/100014440 PCI2025-163190
Generalitat de Catalunya https://doi.org/10.13039/501100002809 2021/SGR-00640
Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades https://doi.org/10.13039/100014440 CEX2024-001506-M
Agencia Estatal de Investigación https://doi.org/10.13039/501100011033 PTA2016-12441-I
Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación https://doi.org/10.13039/501100004837 PEJ2018-003991-A
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv open access
http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.rights.openaire.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv open access
http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
instname:Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
instname_str Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
reponame_str Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
collection Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
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