About

Kevin Arrigo is the Donald and Donald M. Steel Professor of Earth Sciences and a Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment at Stanford University. He received his B.S. in Natural Resources from the University of Michigan in 1983 and his Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from the University of Southern California in 1992. His research as a biological oceanographer focuses on the role marine microalgae play in modulating the cycling of carbon and nitrogen, with particular emphasis on the temporal and spatial variability of biological productivity in polar oceans. His work aims to understand how anthropogenic and atmospheric forcing influence the biogenic flux of carbon dioxide into the oceans and sediments. Arrigo's research is highly interdisciplinary, incorporating satellite remote sensing, ecophysiological modeling, and laboratory and field studies to address complex aspects of ocean biogeochemistry at various scales.

Research topics

• Environmental science
• Ecology
• Biology
• Oceanography
• Geology
• Fishery
• Climatology
• Environmental health

Selected publications

• Climate effects on temporal and spatial dynamics of phytoplankton and zooplankton in the Barents Sea

  Progress In Oceanography · 2020 · 177 citations

  • Oceanography
  • Environmental science
  • Fishery

  Temporal and spatial dynamics of phytoplankton and zooplankton in the Barents Sea have been investigated during the last three decades using remote sensing and in situ observations. Satellite-derived sea surface temperatures increased in the period 1998–2017 by 1.0 °C as an average for the Barents Sea. We found significant positive relationships between ice-free conditions (open water area and duration) and satellite-based net primary production (NPP). The estimated annual NPP for the Barents Sea more than doubled over the 1998–2017 period, from around 40 to over 100 Tg C. The strong increase in NPP is the result of reduction of sea ice, extending both the area and period available for phytoplankton production. In areas where ice extent has decreased, satellite-derived chlorophyll a shows that the timing of the peak spring phytoplankton bloom has advanced by over a month. Our results reveal that phytoplankton dynamics in the ecosystem have been changing rapidly and that this change is driven mainly by bottom-up climatic processes. Autumn mesozooplankton biomass showed strong interannual variability in the 1990s, displaying an inverse relationship with capelin biomass, the most abundant planktivorous fish. In some regions, e.g. Central Bank, capelin biomass explained up to 50% of the mesozooplankton variability during 1989–2017. Though capelin biomass has varied considerably, mesozooplankton biomass has remained rather stable since the mid-2000s (6–8 g dry wt. m−2), resulting in a weakening of the negative relationship between capelin and mesozooplankton biomass in recent years. The stable zooplankton biomass indicates favorable conditions (prolonged/increased NPP) for mesozooplankton production, partly counteracting high predation levels. Overall, we observed trends in phytoplankton phenology that were strongly associated with changes in sea ice cover driven by fluctuations in temperature regime, a trend that may intensify should the ecosystem become even warmer due to climate change. Further reductions of sea ice and associated ice algae is expected to have adverse effects on sympagic fauna and ice dependent species in the Arctic food web. The ice-free conditions may promote further Atlantification (or borealization) of plankton and fish communities in the Barents Sea.

  DOI

• Changes in phytoplankton concentration now drive increased Arctic Ocean primary production

  Science · 2020 · 477 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding
  • Oceanography
  • Environmental science
  • Ecology

  Historically, sea ice loss in the Arctic Ocean has promoted increased phytoplankton primary production because of the greater open water area and a longer growing season. However, debate remains about whether primary production will continue to rise should sea ice decline further. Using an ocean color algorithm parameterized for the Arctic Ocean, we show that primary production increased by 57% between 1998 and 2018. Surprisingly, whereas increases were due to widespread sea ice loss during the first decade, the subsequent rise in primary production was driven primarily by increased phytoplankton biomass, which was likely sustained by an influx of new nutrients. This suggests a future Arctic Ocean that can support higher trophic-level production and additional carbon export.

  DOI

• Phytoplankton dynamics in a changing Arctic Ocean

  Nature Climate Change · 2020 · 419 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding
  • Oceanography
  • Environmental science
  • Climatology

  Changes in the Arctic atmosphere, cryosphere and Ocean are drastically altering the dynamics of phytoplankton, the base of marine ecosystems. This Review addresses four major complementary questions of ongoing Arctic Ocean changes and associated impacts on phytoplankton productivity, phenology and assemblage composition. We highlight trends in primary production over the last two decades while considering how multiple environmental drivers shape Arctic biogeography. Further, we consider changes to Arctic phenology by borealization and hidden under-ice blooms, and how the diversity of phytoplankton assemblages might evolve in a novel Arctic ‘biogeochemical landscape’. It is critical to understand these aspects of changing Arctic phytoplankton dynamics as they exert pressure on marine Arctic ecosystems in addition to direct effects from rapid environmental changes. Ongoing Arctic changes are impacting phytoplankton. This Review considers recent primary productivity trends and the environmental drivers, as well as how these are changing, that drive phytoplankton diversity in the region.

  DOI

• Synergistic interactions among growing stressors increase risk to an Arctic ecosystem

  Nature Communications · 2020 · 55 citations

  1st authorCorresponding
  • Environmental science
  • Ecology
  • Biology

  Oceans provide critical ecosystem services, but are subject to a growing number of external pressures, including overfishing, pollution, habitat destruction, and climate change. Current models typically treat stressors on species and ecosystems independently, though in reality, stressors often interact in ways that are not well understood. Here, we use a network interaction model (OSIRIS) to explicitly study stressor interactions in the Chukchi Sea (Arctic Ocean) due to its extensive climate-driven loss of sea ice and accelerated growth of other stressors, including shipping and oil exploration. The model includes numerous trophic levels ranging from phytoplankton to polar bears. We find that climate-related stressors have a larger impact on animal populations than do acute stressors like increased shipping and subsistence harvesting. In particular, organisms with a strong temperature-growth rate relationship show the greatest changes in biomass as interaction strength increased, but also exhibit the greatest variability. Neglecting interactions between stressors vastly underestimates the risk of population crashes. Our results indicate that models must account for stressor interactions to enable responsible management and decision-making.

  DOI

Recent grants

• IPY: Shedding dynamic light on iron limitation: The interplay of iron limitation and dynamic irradiance in governing the phytoplankton distribution in the Ross Sea

  NSF · $587k · 2007–2010

• Collaborative Research: Elucidating Environmental Controls of Productivity in Polynas and the Western Antarctic Peninsula

  NSF · $403k · 2017–2020

• Application for an Early-concept Grant for Exploratory Reasearch (EAGER) to develop a Pathway/Genome Database (PGDB) for the Southern Ocean Haptophyte Phaeocystis Antarctica.

  NSF · $180k · 2011–2015

• ASPIRE: Amundsen Sea Polynya International Research Expedition

  NSF · $400k · 2010–2014

• Collaborative Research: Biogeochemical significance of the abundant, uncultivated symbiotic cyanobacteria UCYN-A

  NSF · $499k · 2016–2019

Frequent coauthors

• Gert L. van Dijken

  131 shared

• Matthew M. Mills

  Stanford University

  58 shared

• Walker O Smith

  William & Mary

  53 shared

• Michael P. Lizotte

  University of North Carolina at Charlotte

  51 shared

• Denise L. Worthen

  National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

  47 shared

• David G. Ainley

  45 shared

• Anne‐Carlijn Alderkamp

  Stanford University

  44 shared

• Gerhard Dieckmann

  Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung

  43 shared

Labs

• Ocean Biogeochemistry LabPI

Education

• B.S., Natural Resources

  University of Michigan

  1983

• Ph.D., Biological Sciences

  University of Southern California

  1992

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