Journal
CONTINENTAL SHELF RESEARCH
Volume 63, Issue -, Pages S26-S35Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.csr.2012.09.011
Keywords
Light; Nutrients; Mixed layer depth; Phytoplankton; Mid-Atlantic Bight
Categories
Funding
- ONR MURI Espresso program [N000140610739]
- NSF LaTTE program [OCE-0238957, OCE-0238745]
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Mixing has long been recognized as having an important role in influencing underwater light and nutrient budgets and thus regulating phytoplankton bloom. Mixing related to stratification and destratification is a key parameter of the physical environment that can control the timing and magnitude of blooms. Here we use a high-resolution three-dimensional biogeochemical model in the Mid-Atlantic Bight (MAB) to study phytoplankton bloom dynamics for the years 2004-2007. We present a simulated fall-winter bloom in the shelf region and spring bloom in the shelf-break front region. The ratio of light over mixed layer depth (MLD) was used to determine the trade-off effects of mixing (increase mixing will increase nutrients availability but decrease light availability). We find that the critical light value (I'(chl) (mas)) is around 60 (W m(-2)) for the shelf region and 150 (W m(-2)) for the shelf-break front region. There is a predictable linear regression relationship between I'(chl) (mas) and depth. A sensitivity run with no wind forcing was used to test the role of wind-induced mixing on the balance between light and nutrient terms and its influence on timing and magnitude of the bloom. The phytoplankton dynamics in the shelf-break front region are found to be more sensitive to the wind-induced mixing. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
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