Abrupt transitions in dynamics of a NPZD model across Southern Ocean fronts

• Main Authors: Priester, C. Robert, Melbourne-Thomas, Jessica, Klocker, Andreas, Corney, Stuart
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Subjects: Antarctic; Indian; Kerguelen; Southern Ocean; The Antarctic; Antarc*
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304380016305737

The Southern Ocean is the largest high nutrient, low chlorophyll region in the global ocean and is subject to strong iron limitation. Iron availability is associated with the interaction between the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) and topographic features such as the Kerguelen Plateau in the Indian Sector of the Southern Ocean. The fronts of the ACC also provide important environmental delineations for Southern Ocean ecosystem structure. Here, we implement a NPZD (nitrogen, phytoplankton, zooplankton, detritus) model together with an optimal control algorithm along three meridional transects across the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. Our study represents the first spatial application of this model, and considers potential environmental drivers of parameter variability and community dynamics. NPZD model; Southern ocean; Circumpolar fronts; Optimal control; System limitation;