Analysis of temporal and spatial variability of phytoplankton by physical-biological models

Abstract

I reviewed my research on analysis of temporal and spatial variability of phytoplankton by physical-biological models. This paper was prepared for a lecture of the member awarded the Okada Prize for 1991 from the Oceanographical Society of Japan. Temporal change of phytoplankton in a local upwelling was studied by simulated upwelling experiments conducted with natural phytoplankton communities under natural surface light conditions. Results of the culture experiments was explained by a simple model. This model allows to predict the chlorophyll and nutrient concentration changes in a given upwelled water mass. Above model was verified by a local upwelling observed off Izu, Japan, on May, 1982. Phytoplankton growth and nutrient decrease in surface water of the local upwelling were observed within two days followed by decrease of phytoplankton concentration under depleted nutrient environment. The phytoplankton growth and nutrient decrease could explained by the model with phytoplankton removal rate of about half of the growth rate. Centric diatom was the dominant phytoplankton group and pennate diatom showed less abundance in the upwelled water. Pennate diatom showed fast growth rate when nutrient was abundant and fast decreasing rate after nutrient depleted. On the other hand, flagellate and monads showed relatively slow change of biomass under the change of nutrient concentrations. Furthermore, resting spore formation of centric diatom,Leptocylindrus danicus, was observed in a response to nutrient depletion. Temporal and spatial variability of phytoplankton in the southeastern U.S. continental shelf ecosystem was studied by physical-biological models. First, differences of the biological responses to frontal eddy upwelling during spring and to intrusion during summer was considered by Lagrangian particle tracing experiments with optimally-interpolated flow fields. In spring, particles showed residence time of a few days; however, particles in summer intrusion stayed on the shelf nearly 30 days. It was concluded that difference of particle residence time of upwelled water make the difference of plankton communities. Similar flow fields and particle tracing experiments were used to trace the features in chlorophyll distributions during spring of 1980 derived by Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS). Phytoplankton patchness were created and deformed by frontal eddy events. Eularian physical-biological model was constructed to understand the CZCS-chlorophyll distributions. Statistical comparisons with series of numerical experiments indicate that horizontal advection is an important process for the chlorophyll distributions and that upwelling and associated phytoplankton growth are responsible for the across-shelf gradients and maintenance of concentrations. Furthermore, the CZCS data were assimilated to the model to improve the phytoplankton concentrations, and phytoplankton carbon flux across shelf was estimated. Processes causing the time changes of chlorophyll concentrations were estimated with the model and satellite data further indicated that the both physical and biological forcing is important for the time chages. Several other studies conducted presently were mentioned.