MARINE BIOLOGY Interannual Variations of Nutrients and Primary Production over the Southeastern Bering Sea Shelf
Abstract-The southeastern Bering Sea shelf experienced dramatic changes in Jarge-scale climate conditions and local weather conditions during 1997,1998, and 1999. We investigated the changes in the nutrient distri bution and primary production in response to the changing physical condition over the...
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| Format: | Text |
| Language: | English |
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2004
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| Online Access: | http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.514.8337 http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/foci/publications/2005/rhoS426.pdf |
| Summary: | Abstract-The southeastern Bering Sea shelf experienced dramatic changes in Jarge-scale climate conditions and local weather conditions during 1997,1998, and 1999. We investigated the changes in the nutrient distri bution and primary production in response to the changing physical condition over the shelf region. The tem perature and salinity profiles showed that sea ice conditions and wind-mixing events strongly influenced the hydrographic conditions. BiologicaJ utilization and physical process, such as hOlizontaJ advection below the pycnocline, played an important role in the distribution and interannual variation of nutrients. The distribution of temperature and ammonium across the shelf suggested that there was offshore transport of the middle shelf water at mid-depths over the outer shelf, which may export materials from the middle shelf to the outer shelf and shelf break. The distribution of the carbon and nitrogen uptake rates showed large interannual differences due to variations in t.he development of stratification and nutrient concentrations that resulted from variations in the sea ice dynamics and wind mixing over the shelf region. The occurrence of a high amount of ammonium in the early spring may affect the nitrate utilization and result in an increase of the total primary production. INTRODUCTION anomalies from late May to mid-July and winds were generally weak, except for a severe storm in May The fluctuations of atmospheric conditions are [26, 34]. In 1998, the strength of the Aleutian Low was |
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