Modulation of Phytoplankton Uptake by Mesoscale and Submesoscale Eddies in the California Current System

Damien, Pierre; Bianchi, Daniele; Kessouri, Fayçal; McWilliams, James C.

doi:10.1029/2023gl104853

i

Modulation of Phytoplankton Uptake by Mesoscale and Submesoscale Eddies in the California Current System

Supporting Files

2023
By Damien, Pierre ; Bianchi, Daniele ; Kessouri, Fayçal ; ...

Details

Journal Title:

Geophysical Research Letters
Personal Author:

Damien, Pierre ; Bianchi, Daniele ; Kessouri, Fayçal ; McWilliams, James C.
NOAA Program & Office:

NOS (National Ocean Service)
Description:

Eddies play a crucial role in shaping ocean dynamics by affecting material transport, and generating spatio‐temporal heterogeneity. However, how eddies at different scales modulate biogeochemical transformation rates remains an open question. Applying a multi‐scale decomposition to a numerical simulation, we investigate the respective impact of mesoscale and submesoscale eddies on nutrient transport and biogeochemical cycling in the California Current System. First, the non‐linear nature of nutrient uptake by phytoplankton results in a 50% reduction in primary production in the presence of eddies. Second, eddies shape the vertical transport of nutrients with a strong compensation between mesoscale and submesoscale. Third, the eddy effect on nutrient uptake is controlled by the covariance of temperature, nutrient and phytoplankton fluctuations caused by eddies. Our results shed new light on the tight interaction between non‐linear fluid dynamics and ecosystem processes in realistic eddy regimes, which remain largely under‐resolved by global Earth system models.
Keywords:

General Earth And Planetary Sciences Geophysics General Earth And Planetary Sciences General Earth And Planetary Sciences
Source:

Geophysical Research Letters, 50(16)
DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1029/2023gl104853
ISSN:

0094-8276 ; 1944-8007
Format:

PDF
Publisher:

American Geophysical Union (AGU)
Document Type:

Journal Article
Funding:

Grant no. NA15NOS4780186 ; Grant no. NA18NOS4780174
License:

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Rights Information:

CC BY
Compliance:

Library
Main Document Checksum:

urn:sha256:ff9b38e9f8315919fe05aab72377fdeaea0372472e1aeed51264f46abd28cb43
Download URL:

https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/58070/noaa_58070_DS1.pdf
File Type:

[PDF - 3.55 MB ]

Machine readable version (XML)

Download

ON THIS PAGE

Details Supporting Files

The NOAA IR serves as an archival repository of NOAA-published products including scientific findings, journal articles, guidelines, recommendations, or other information authored or co-authored by NOAA or funded partners. As a repository, the NOAA IR retains documents in their original published format to ensure public access to scientific information.