One-dimensional modelling of the plankton ecosystem of the north-western Corsican coastal area in relation to meteorological constraints

In order to study the influence of wind mixing on the spring variability of the plankton production of the north western Corsican coastal area, a one-dimensional (1D), vertical, coupled hydrodynamic/biological model (ECOHYDROMV) is used. A hydrodynamic 1D model of the water column with a k–l turbulent closure is applied. The biological model comprises six state variables, representing the plankton ecosystem in the spring period: phytoplankton, copepods, nitrate, ammonium, particulate organic matter of phytoplanktonic origin and particulate organic matter of zooplanktonic origin. The system is influenced by turbulence (expressed by the vertical eddy diffusivity), temperature and irradiance. The model takes into account momentum and heat surface fluxes computed from meteorological data in order to simulate a typical spring atmospheric forcing for the considered area. Results show that primary production vertical structure is characterised by a subsurface maximum which deepens with time and is regulated by the opposite gradients of nitrate concentration and irradiance. Surface plankton productivity is mainly controlled by turbulent vertical transport of nutrients into the mixed layer. The short time scale variability of turbulent mixing generated by the wind appears to be responsible for the plurimodal shape of plankton blooms, observed in the considered area. Furthermore, the model is applied to the study of the spring evolution of the plankton communities off the bay of Calvi (Corsica) for the years 1986 and 1988. In order to initiate and validate the model, time series of hydrological, chemical and biological data have been used. The model reproduces accurately the spring evolution of the phytoplankton biomass measured in situ and illustrates that its strong variability in those years was in close relation to the variability of the wind intensity.     

The Prince Edward Islands pelagic ecosystem, south Indian Ocean: a review of achievements, 1976–1990

This review summarizes the main research findings of the multi-year oceanographic and biological studies conducted in the vicinity of the Prince Edward Archipelago during the period 1976 to 1990. The Prince Edward Islands represent a flow-through system on the mainstream of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. Although there are no taxonomic differences between the pelagic communities of the upstream, inter-island and downstream regions, these mesoscale subsystems may operate differently. The mesoscale oceanographic and biological processes appear to be affected by the position of the Subantarctic Front (SAF) in the vicinity of the islands. Both the rich benthic community, which is supported by the local enhancement of primary production, and the strong advection of zooplankton/micronekton from the upstream region provide the food resources necessary for the survival of the huge community of land-based predators present on the islands. Collectively this is termed the ‘life-support system'. Future studies should concentrate on the meridional shifts in the position of the SAF and its influence on background productivity upstream and downstream of the Prince Edward Archipelago.