DOI: 10.1594/pangaea.983496
title: Microscale profiles of oxygen, pH and temperature through the sea surface microlayer in a mesocosm experiment during an algal bloom

description: The sea surface microlayer (SML) is the boundary layer on top of all oceans and is crucial for all exchange processes between the ocean and atmosphere. This less than 1 mm thick layer is heavily influenced by biological processes and events like algal blooms. To quantify the influence of an algal bloom in a controlled environment, we conducted a mesocosm study at the Sea sURface Facility (SURF) of the Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM) in Wilhelmshaven, Germany (53.5148 °N, 8.1463°E). SURF is an 8.5 m long, 2 m wide and 1 m deep water basin, which can directly be filled with seawater from the Jade Bay, North Sea. The facility is equipped with a retractable roof, pumps for water circulation and dedicated mounts for multiple sensor systems. The mesocosm experiment was conducted from 18 May to 16 June 2023 as part of the project BASS (Biogeochemical processes and Air-sea exchange in the Sea-Surface microlayer). SURF was filled with seawater a few days before the start of the experiment (water depth 0.7 m). The water was then filtered and the surface skimmed to remove initial pollution. To prevent particle and microbial sedimentation during the experiment, the pumps operated at low speed to maintain gentle mixing of the water column. The roof of SURF was closed during the night, while it was open during the day except when it rained. To induce an algal bloom, a mix of nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus and silicate) was added on 26 May, 30 May and 01 June. Based on the chlorophyll measurements which show the development of the bloom, three phases of the experiment were determined: the pre-bloom phase (18 May to 26 May), the bloom phase (27 May to 04 June) and the post-bloom phase (05 June to 16 June). Several physical, chemical and biological parameters were measured, which will be published in other datasets. To evaluate the impact of the algal bloom within the SML, oxygen concentration, pH, and temperature were measured in situ using microsensors (UNISENSE, Denmark) mounted on a MicroProfiling System (UNISENSE, Denmark). With this setup, direct in situ measurements inside both the thermal boundary layer and diffusion boundary layer at the sea surface can be made. One oxygen microsensor, two pH microsensors and three temperature microsensors were mounted on the microprofiler with their tips pointing upward to avoid disturbance in the SML. They were positioned a few centimeters apart. The microprofiler was used to automatically move the sensors down, from the air through the SML and into the underlying water over a total distance of 10 000 µm in steps of 125 µm (250 µm at the start of the experiment). At each depth, the sensors stayed for about 10 s, giving a mean value and a standard deviation over that time. Three of these measurements were taken at every depth before the sensor moved down to the next step. After completing a profile, the microprofiler returned to its initial position with the tips in the air to start the next profile. The resulting profiles mostly took between 40 to 50 minutes. These profiles were conducted continuously during day and night, except for small breaks to clean and if needed replace or readjust the sensors and recalibrate the pH sensors. The sensors' height required manual adjustment to position the tip precisely at the water surface (0 µm). Through this manual adjustment, small inaccuracies may occur. As a result, the sensor depth readings form the microprofiler system may not reflect the true sensor position, which can also vary between the sensors. The true sensor positions can later be obtained by analysing the measured profiles.