Primary production in the Ligurian sea

• Main Authors: Mayot, N., Nival, P., Levy, Marina
• Other Authors: Migon, C. (ed.), Nival, P. (ed.), Sciendra, A. (ed.)
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: ISTE 2020
• Subjects: OCEANOGRAPHIE BIOLOGIQUE; PRODUCTION PRIMAIRE; PHYTOPLANCTON; BIOMASSE; STRUCTURE DE POPULATION; DYNAMIQUE DE POPULATION; VARIATION SPATIALE; VARIATION SAISONNIERE; CYCLE BIOGEOCHIMIQUE; MODELISATION; North Atlantic
• Online Access: http://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010080087

The oceanographic and ecological characteristics of phytoplankton dynamics in the Ligurian Sea had been described in the 1960s from transects across the area and related to some physical–biogeochemical processes. This chapter provides an overview of the micro‐, nano‐ and picophytoplankton species. Recurrent estimations of annual primary production cycles in the euphotic layer of the central Ligurian Sea were obtained at the DYFAMED sampling station. Associated with general annual cycle of phytoplankton dynamics, small spatiotemporal processes occur and may play a lead role at local scales. The biogeochemistry of the Ligurian Sea shares important characteristics with other temperate regions of the ocean, such as the North Atlantic. Modeling studies of this complex system has paved the way for the understanding of the coupling between the physics of the ocean and the response of the biogeochemistry in environments that are prone to strong seasonal variations of the surface mixed layer and to strong mesoscale dynamics.