One-dimensional model of short-term dynamics of the pelagic ecosystem in the NW Mediterranean Sea: effects of wind events

Modeling long‐term change of planktonic ecosystems in the northern South China Sea and the upstream Kuroshio Current

“…Following the approach of Chifflet et al . [], we modify the one‐dimensional ROMS model by including the process of vertical advection driven by wind stress curl, which is one of the most important processes responsible for the dynamics of the South China Sea [ Metzger , ]. We modify the nitrogen‐based biological model [ Fasham et al ., ; Gruber et al ., ] by adding processes of our interest including phosphorus cycle and nitrogen fixation, which have been suggested as important processes for primary production in the NSCS and KC [ Wu et al ., 2003; Chen et al ., ].…”

“…The one-dimensional ROMS model includes a physical-biological coupling system, which defines a vertical coordinate system with increased resolution near the surface boundary layer [Troupin et al, 2010], and an embedded mixed layer model with a vertical turbulence mixing closure of K-Profile Parameterization (KPP) [Large et al, 1994]. Following the approach of Chifflet et al [2001], we modify the one-dimensional ROMS model by including the process of vertical advection driven by wind stress curl, which is one of the most important processes responsible for the dynamics of the South China Sea [Metzger, 2003]. We modify Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 10.1002/2014JC010609 the nitrogen-based biological model [Fasham et al, 1990;Gruber et al, 2006] by adding processes of our interest including phosphorus cycle and nitrogen fixation, which have been suggested as important processes for primary production in the NSCS and KC [Wu et al, 2003;Chen et al, 2008].…”

“…The Impact of Physical Dynamics on Nutrient Fluxes, New Production, Community Structure in the NSCS and KC When horizontal processes are ignorable, the vertical pattern of phytoplankton in the offshore regions should be determined by the balanced between the net growth of phytoplankton and the local transport of phytoplankton by turbulent diffusion [Troupin et al, 2010;Li et al, 2012]. Along with the diapycnal diffusion, vertical advection by episodic upwelling or downwelling could also influence the vertical gradients of phytoplankton and nutrients [Chifflet et al, 2001]. In the upper layer of the open ocean such as the central NSCS and the upstream Kuroshio, horizontal fluxes of nutrients could be considered negligible due to their low horizontal gradients within the euphotic zone.…”

Defining the “to” in end-to-end models

“…Planktonic ecosystem models often include a single generic compartment representing all zooplankton, the "Z box", without a differentiation even between microbial and metazoan zooplankton, and no consideration of inter-and intra-specific zooplankton predation (Evans and Garçon, 1997). Indeed, while the numbers of pPFTs implemented in ecosystem models are on the rise varying from 3 to as many as 78 (Chifflet et al, 2001;Follows et al, 2007), the zooplankton communities remain lumped into one or two "boxes" (Carlotti and Poggiale, this volume). Furthermore, other than a difference in values of constants describing maximum growth rates and assimilation efficiency etc., those depictions of zooplankton functional types (zPFT) that do find themselves in models are invariably very simplistic (e.g., Blackford et al, 2004).…”

Enhancing the comprehension of mixed layer depth control on the Mediterranean phytoplankton phenology

“…Although specific analyses have been conducted at the regional scale (in particular in the Ligurian Sea, where the largest Mediterranean blooms occur [ Lévy et al ., ; Chifflet et al ., ; Marty et al ., ; Lacroix and Grégoire , ]), very few studies explored the link between the phytoplankton phenology and MLD annual variations at the basin scale [ Crispi et al ., ; Lazzari et al ., , Volpe et al ., ]. Nevertheless, because of the coexistence of subtropical and temperate phenological regimes in a limited space and of a relatively large spectrum of MLD conditions (spanning from very shallow layers in summer to the totally homogenized water columns in the sites of deep water formation), the Mediterranean basin represents a very good system to explore and better understand the role played by MLD dynamics in controlling phytoplankton phenology.…”