Modelling the effect of atmospheric nitrogen deposition on marine phytoplankton in the Singapore Strait

摘要

Atmospheric deposition is an important source of nutrients to the ocean, potentially stimulatingnprimary production, but its relative effect on coastal eutrophication remains largely unknown.nThis paper presents data generated by the 3-D modelling program NEUTRO to assess thenproportion of atmospheric nutrient fluxes, allowing a quantification of the relative contributionnof atmospheric and ocean fluxes in the Singapore Strait. This work included an assessmentnof the importance of high concentration episodic inputs of nitrate-nitrogen associated withntransport of polluted air onto the surface water. The NEUTRO model features a nutrient-fuellednfood web composed of nutrients, plankton, and dissolved oxygen dynamics. Model simulationsnshow that atmospheric deposition fluxes alone might contribute nitrate-nitrogen mass up to 15%ninto the Singapore Strait. This amount might be a significant contributor toward regionalneutrophication when the system is under nutrient-depleted conditions. Model calibrations forntemporal and spatial variability of nutrients qualitatively and quantitatively agreed withnavailable measurements.