Physical Forcing of Phytoplankton Population Abundance in the Western Gulf of Maine

摘要

The goal of this study is to understand the physical-biological interactions that control phytoplankton distributions observed in the western Gulf of Maine. The primary objective is to create realistic three-dimensional regional simulations of phytoplankton biomass which resolve time scales from hours to seasons and spatial scales ranging from 1 to 100 km. The simulations are to be rigorously calibrated with available data. Once validated, the numerical solutions will be used as a basis for diagnosis of the physical- biological mechanisms responsible for producing spatial and temporal variability in phytoplankton abundance. In particular, the influences of buoyant river plume dynamics and wind-driven coastal upwelling/downwelling are to be examined.