The spring bloom in the Antarctic Polar Frontal Zone as observed from a mesoscale array of bio-optical sensors

The US Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS) conducted a series of survey and process studies in part to understand the processes regulating primary productivity and carbon flux in the APFZ, which is a high-nutrient, low-chlorophyll (HNLC) region. We deployed a high-resolution array of 12 moorings (average horizontal spacing 30 km) equipped with bio-optical and physical sensors to study the temporal and spatial scales of biological and physical processes in the APFZ. The moorings collected data from November 1997 to March 1998, effectively observing the growing season. Estimates of chlorophyll and sun-stimulated fluorescence/chlorophyll (F/C) were derived from the bio-optical measurements. Each mooring showed a strong spring bloom beginning in early December as the upper ocean began to stratify, with chlorophyll levels nearly quadrupling. The time series, along with ship studies, suggest that phytoplankton were initially light-limited as a result of deep, late spring mixing, followed by intense zooplankton grazing or silicate limitation, which controlled the maximum chlorophyll concentration, and finally by iron limitation, which led to increasing photoadaptive stress. These results suggest that phytoplankton in the APFZ are regulated by a confluence of processes involving light, grazing, silicate, and iron, and that models comprising a single mechanism may not be sufficient. The spring bloom in the APFZ is a transient event, persisting for only a few weeks, and therefore it is difficult to draw conclusions from sporadic ship cruises. Moreover, its spatial scales are also small so that widely spaced hydrographic stations can easily overlook critical processes.     

Potential of Argo Drifters for Estimating Biological Production within the Water Column

Argo drifters provide information of the vertical structure in the water column and have a potential for the improvement of understanding phytoplankton primary production and biogeochemical cycles in combination with ocean color satellite data, which can obtain the horizontal distribution of phytoplankton biomass in the surface layer. Our examples show that using Argo drifters with satellite-measured horizontal distribution of phytoplankton biomass at the sea surface allow an improved understanding of the development of the spring bloom. The other possible uses of Argo drifter are discussed.     

The onset of the Spring Bloom in the MEDOC area: mesoscale spatial variability

In the northwestern Mediterranean Sea, Coastal Zone Color Scanner images suggest that the eddies that participate in the restratification following deep convection interact with the spring phytoplankton bloom. The mechanisms for this interaction are studied using a biogeochemical model embedded in an eddy-resolving primitive equation ocean model. The model is initialized with a patch of dense water surrounded by a stratified ocean, which is characteristic of the winter situation. The atmospheric forcing is artificially held constant, in order to focus solely on the mesoscale variability. After a few days, meanders develop at the periphery of the patch, inducing its sinking and spreading. Mesoscale upward motions are responsible for the shoaling of the mixing layer in the trough of the meanders. As sunlight is the main factor regulating primary production at this time of year, this shoaling increases the mean exposure time of the phytoplankton cells and thus enhances productivity. Consequently, the majority of phytoplankton production is obtained at the edge of the patch, in agreement with in situ data. Through advection, phytoplankton is then subducted from these sources towards the crest of the meanders. Our results suggest that this mesoscale transport is responsible for a decorrelation between phytoplankton biomass and primary production.     

Nitrogen, Silicon and Zooplankton Controlling the Baltic Spring Bloom: An Experimental Study

The importance of nitrogen, silicon and grazing for the development of the planktonic spring bloom of the transition area between the Baltic Proper and the Gulf of Finland was studied in a laboratory experiment. Water for this experiment was collected prior to the onset of the spring bloom in early April 1991. At this time, inorganic nutrient concentrations were still at their annual maxim. In the experiment, conducted in plastic tanks, the nitrate level was doubled and silicate level tripled by single and combined additions. One tank was filtered with a 100 μm net to exclude large grazers of phytoplankton. Two unmanipulated controls were used. The tanks were maintained at +2 °C for a 3 week period in 12 h of daylight (60 μE m⁻²s⁻¹), during which time their nutrient and phytoplankton dynamics were followed. All added inorganic nitrogen was swiftly taken up inducing rapid phytoplankton growth; consequently, available phosphorus must have met the needs of growth. The results showed the limiting nature of nitrogen on the maximum primary productivity and chlorophyll aconcentration. Silicate additions affected the structure of the phytoplankton assemblage by promoting specifically the growth of the diatomChaetoceros holsaticusSchütt, which produced resting spores at later stages of the bloom, whileChaetoceros wighamiiBrightwell was the dominant diatom species in other tanks. The absence of large grazers had no effect on phytoplankton dynamics.     

Chlorophyll distribution in a temperate estuary: The Strait of Georgia and Juan de Fuca Strait

Data collected during 7 years of seasonal surveys are used to investigate the distribution of phytoplankton biomass within the estuarine waters of the Strait of Georgia and Juan de Fuca Strait. Variability of the chlorophyll distribution is examined in relation to the density stratification, light availability and nutrient concentration. In the Strait of Georgia, both the horizontal and vertical distribution of chlorophyll are found to be linked to the presence of a near-surface layer of increased density stratification. Despite important year-to-year variability, the seasonal cycle of chlorophyll in the Strait of Georgia is dominated every year by relatively large near-surface concentrations in the spring that are linked to the seasonal increase in solar radiation onto the stratified near-surface layer. In the vertical, a sub-surface peak is observed around 10 m depth, corresponding to the depth of maximum water column stability. Nutrients within the euphotic zone are in general abundant, with the exception of the Strait of Georgia in summer where phytoplankton growth is potentially limited by low nitrate concentration near the surface. The depth of the euphotic zone is estimated along the thalweg of the estuary from transmissometer profiles. It appears to vary relatively little within the estuary from a minimum of 20 m in spring, near the mouth of the Fraser River, to an autumnal maximum of about 30 m in the northern Strait of Georgia. Finally, the estimated self-shading contribution to light attenuation is shown to be generally significant (5–10%) in the surface waters of the Strait of Georgia, during spring and summer, reaching values as high as 35% during the spring bloom.     

Seasonal variation of diel vertical migration of zooplankton from ADCP backscatter time series data in the Lazarev Sea,Antarctica

Ten-month time series of mean volume backscattering strength (MVBS) and vertical velocity obtained from three moored acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs) deployed from February until December 2005 at 64°S, 66.5°S and 69°S along the Greenwich Meridian were used to analyse the diel vertical zooplankton migration (DVM) and its seasonality and regional variability in the Lazarev Sea. The estimated MVBS exhibited distinct patterns of DVM at all three mooring sites. Between February and October, the timing of the DVM and the residence time of zooplankton at depth were clearly governed by the day–night rhythm. Mean daily cycles of the ADCP-derived vertical velocity were calculated for successive months and showed maximum ascent and descent velocities of 16 and –15 mm s^?1. However, a change of the MVBS pattern occurred in late spring/early austral summer (October/November), when the zooplankton communities ceased their synchronous vertical migration at all three mooring sites. Elevated MVBS values were then concentrated in the uppermost layers (<50 m) at 66.5°S. This period coincided with the decay of sea ice coverage at 64°S and 66.5°S between early November and mid-December. Elevated chlorophyll concentrations, which were measured at the end of the deployment, extended from 67°S to 65°S and indicated a phytoplankton bloom in the upper 50 m. Thus, we propose that the increased food supply associated with an ice edge bloom caused the zooplankton communities to cease their DVM in favour of feeding.     

长江口区浮游植物营养限制因子的研究 Ⅱ.春季的营养限制情况

1999年5月在长江口及周围海域进行了环境调查,通过对该海域的浮游植物、叶绿素、营养盐、温度、盐度等进行分析,并结合现场实验和室内模拟实验,对本海域浮游植物的营养限制状况进行了研究.调查期间受冲淡水流量、流向和水体垂直分层的影响,冲淡水影响的范围和磷限制的范围相对于1998年11月均有所扩展.现场对26号站的加富实验直接证实了磷的限制作用;室内对26,41号站位的营养加富实验也均证实了磷限制的结论.根据浮游植物的需求和营养盐的补充情况,将该海区划分为:近河口区、冲淡区、台湾暖流影响区和黄海沿岸流影响区.本次调查处在春季水华的结束阶段,因而浮游植物的数量和种类数比1998年11月偏低.     

The seasonal cycle of phytoplankton biomass and primary productivity in the Ross Sea, Antarctica

Phytoplankton standing stocks and carbon assimilation were measured during four cruises to the southern Ross Sea, Antarctica during 1996 and 1997 in order to assess the details of the seasonal cycle of biomass and productivity. The seasonal composite showed that phytoplankton biomass increased rapidly during the austral spring, and integrated chlorophyll reached a maximum during the summer (January 15) and decreased thereafter. Particulate matter ratios (carbon:nitrogen, carbon:chlorophyll) also showed distinct seasonal trends with summer minima. Carbon assimilation increased rapidly in the spring, and reached a maximum of 231 mmol C m⁻² d⁻¹, ca. four weeks earlier than the maximum observed biomass (during early December). It decreased rapidly thereafter, and in austral autumn when ice formed, it approached zero. The time of maximum growth rate coincided with the maximum in C-assimilation, and at 0.66 d⁻¹ equaled predictions based on laboratory cultures. Growth rates over the entire growing season, however, were generally much less. Deck-board incubations suggested that photoinhibition occurred at the greatest photon flux densities, but in situ incubations revealed no such surface inhibition. We suggest that due to the nature of the irradiance field in the Antarctic, assemblages maintained in on-deck incubators received more light than those in situ, which resulted in photoinhibition. This in turn resulted in a 17% underestimate in on-deck productivity relative to in situ determinations. The phytoplankton bloom appeared to be initiated when vertical stability was imparted in austral spring, coincident with greater daily photon flux densities. Conversely, decreased productivity likely resulted from trace metal limitation, whereas biomass declines likely resulted from enhanced loss rates, such as aggregate formation and enhanced vertical flux of larger particles. The seasonal progression of productivity and biomass in the southern Ross Sea was similar to other areas in the ocean that experience blooms, and the cycling of carbon in this region is extensive, despite the fact that the growing season extends no more than five months.     

Unusual large-scale phytoplankton blooms in the equatorial Pacific

Unusual large-scale accumulations of phytoplankton occurred across 10,000 km of the equatorial Pacific during the 1998 transition from El Niño to La Niña. The forcing and dynamics of these phytoplankton blooms were studied using satellite-based observations of sea surface height, temperature and chlorophyll, and mooring-based observations of winds, hydrography and ocean currents. During the bloom period, the thermocline (nutricline) was anomalously shallow across the equatorial Pacific. The relative importance of processes that enhanced nutrient flux into the euphotic zone differed between the western and eastern regions of the blooms. In the western bloom region, the important vertical processes were turbulent vertical mixing and wind-driven upwelling. In contrast, the important processes in the eastern bloom region were wave-forced shoaling of nutrient source waters directly into the euphotic zone, along-isopycnal upwelling, and wind-driven upwelling. Advection by the Equatorial Undercurrent spread the largest bloom 4500 km east of where it began, and advection by meridional currents of tropical instability waves transported the bloom hundreds of kilometers north and south of the equator. Many processes influenced the intricate development of these massive biological events. Diverse observations and novel analysis methods of this work advance the conceptual framework for understanding the complex dynamics and ecology of the equatorial Pacific.     

Seasonal changes in size-fractionated primary production and nutrient concentrations in the temperate neritic water of Funka Bay,Japan

Size-fractionated primary productivity and chlorophylla concentration were studied at two stations in the temperate neritic water of Funka Bay, Japan, from April 1984 to May 1985. Size distributions of phytoplankton were discussed in relation to nutrient availability. In the central part of the bay, 66% of the annual primary production occurred during the spring phytoplankton bloom with 95% of the spring production being accounted for by the greater than 10µm size fraction, which was dominated by diatoms. The increase in this large fraction was enhanced at both stations when nutrient concentrations increased in the bay's upper layer. Under low nutrient concentrations during summer, small phytoplankters (<2µm) accounted for 40 to 75% (average 60%) of the total¹⁴C uptake at the central station, and from 25 to 59% (average, 45%) at the coastal station. However, a sudden nutrient enrichment at the coastal station during the summer triggered the growth of the large size fraction. These seasonal and regional changes in total¹⁴C uptake were attributed to the large size fraction, composed mainly of diatoms. From the decreases in various nutrients during diatom blooms, it was further suggested that the predominance of diatoms was determined, not only by nutrient concentrations, but also by their relative availability.Contribution No. 205 from the Research Institute of North Pacific Fisheries, Faculty of Fisheries, Hokkaido University.     

High frequency measurements of dissolved inorganic and organic nutrients using instrumented moorings in the southern and central North Sea

The aim of this study was to investigate the cycling of dissolved inorganic and organic nutrients using moored instrumented buoys (SmartBuoys) during the spring bloom in the North Sea. The instrumentation on the buoys enabled high frequency measurements of water-column integrated irradiance and in situ chlorophyll to be made, and also preserved water sample collection which were used for dissolved inorganic and organic nutrient analyses. The SmartBuoys were located in the year-round well-mixed plume zone associated with the River Thames and in the summer stratified central North Sea. These site locations allowed comparison of nutrient concentrations and cycling, and spring bloom development at two contrasting sites. The spring bloom was expected to be initiated at both stations due to increasing insolation and decreasing suspended load leading to higher water-column integrated irradiance. Due to differences in suspended load between the sites, the spring bloom started ∼2 months earlier in the central North Sea. The spring bloom in the Thames plume also resulted in higher maximum phytoplankton biomass due to the higher pre-bloom nutrient concentrations associated with riverine input. The use of SmartBuoys is also shown to allow the cycling of dissolved organic nutrients to be examined over the critical, and often undersampled, spring bloom period. Dissolved Organic Nitrogen (DON) clearly increased during the spring bloom in the central North Sea compared to winter concentrations. DON also increased in the Thames plume although showing greater winter variability related to higher riverine and sedimentary dissolved organic matter input at this shallow (∼18 m) coastal site. DON increase during the spring bloom was therefore related to primary production at both sites probably due to active release by phytoplankton. At both stations DON decreased to pre-bloom concentrations as the bloom declined suggesting the released DON was bioavailable and removed due to heterotrophic uptake and production. The preserved nutrient samples from the central North Sea site were also suitable for Dissolved Organic Phosphorus (DOP) analysis due to their low suspended load with similar trends and cycling to DON, albeit at lower concentrations. This suggested similar processes controlling both DON and DOP. The variable timing of short term events such as the spring bloom makes sampling away from coastal regions difficult without the use of autonomous technology. This study demonstrates for the first time the applicability of using preserved samples from automated buoys for the measurement of dissolved organic nutrients.     

Specific oceanographic characteristics and phytoplankton responses influencing the primary production around the Ulleung Basin area in spring

The East Sea(Sea of Japan)is a marginal,semi-closed sea in the northwestern Pacific.The Ulleung Basin area,which is located near the subpolar front of the East Sea,is known to have high primary production and good fisheries in spring season.After episodic wind-driven events during the spring of 2017,horizontal and vertical profiles of physical chemical biological factors were investigated at 29 stations located in the Ulleung Basin area.In addition,growth responses of phytoplankton communities to nutrient additions were evaluated by bioassay experiments to understand the fluctuation of phytoplankton biomass.Because of strong northwestern wind,phytoplankton biomass was scattered and upwelling phenomenon might be suppressed in this season.The phytoplankton abundances in the coastal stations were significantly higher than offshore and island stations.In contrast,the nutrient and chlorophyll a(Chl a)concentrations and the phytoplankton biomass were quite low in all locations.Bacillariophyceae was dominated group(>75.1%for coastal,40.0%for offshore and 43.6%for island stations).In the algal bioassays,the phytoplankton production was stimulated by N availability.The in vivo Chl a values in the+N and+NP treatments were significantly higher than the values in the control and the+P treatments.Based on the field survey,the higher nutrients in coastal waters affected the growth of diatom assemblages,however,little prosperity of phytoplankton was observed in the offshore waters despite the injection of sufficient nutrients in bioassay experiments.The growth of phytoplankton depended on the initial cell density.All of results indicated that a dominant northwestern wind led to a limited nutrients condition at euphotic layers,and the low level of biomass supply from the coasts resulted in low primary production.Both supplying nutrients and introducing phytoplankton through the currents are critical to maintain the high productivity in the Ulleung Basin area of the East Sea.     

Chlorophyll distributions in the Delaware estuary: Regulation by light-limitation

Phytoplankton chlorophyll concentrations in the Delaware estuary range over two orders of magnitude and display several maxima over the seasonal cycle. These maxima were found to be regulated both spatially and temporally by light availability. Both the spring chlorophyll maximum, which reaches 50–60 μg chlorophyll l^?1 during a Skeletonema costatum dominated bloom, and transient fall blooms (15–20 μg l^?1) are focused in mid-estuary. These blooms are regulated spatially by settling out of suspended sediment below the turbidity maximum and both spatially and temporally by physical factors (e.g. river flow) that cause vertical stratification in mid-estuary. In freshwater regions, chlorophyll concentrations display seasonal periodicity correlated with solar irradiance; summer chlorophyll concentrations average 30 μg l^?1. These freshwater and mid-estuarine biomass maxima may be correctly predicted using a steady-state light-limitation model. In contrast, summer chlorophyll concentrations in the lower estuary remain below 10 μg l^?1 and are not correctly modeled, despite minimum turbidity, and non-nutrient limiting conditions. These chlorophyll concentrations appear to be regulated by a combination of light availability and grazing.Although extremely high anthropogenic nutrient inputs in the freshwater region of the Delaware River provide non-limiting nutrient concentrations throughout the estuary, regulation of phytoplankton growth by light-limitation restricts chlorophyll concentrations below the nuisance levels found in many eutrophic systems.     

南海北部东沙天然气水合物区浮游植物生物量和生产力粒级结构特征及其环境影响分析

本文讨论了2013年5月南海东沙天然气水合物区浮游植物生物量和生产力粒级结构特征及其环境影响因素。结果表明，研究海域表现出典型的低营养盐、低叶绿素a、低生产力特征，浮游植物叶绿素a和初级生产力具有明显的次表层最大值现象。东沙海域生物量和初级生产力粒级结构差异性显著，从生物量和生产力贡献度来看，表现为微微型浮游植物> 微型浮游植物> 小型浮游植物。生物量的垂直分布结果表明，春季不同粒级类群浮游植物在真光层内的分布存在明显不同，比如小型浮游植物在真光层内分布较均匀；微型浮游植物则主要分布于近表层或真光层中部，而微微型浮游植物则主要分布于真光层中部和底部。微微型浮游植物在纬度较低的热带贫营养海区之所以能够占主导优势，最主要的原因是其极小的细胞体积和较大的表面积使其有利于营养竞争。相关性分析表明，南海东沙浮游植物各粒级生物量与温度、pH显著正相关，与硅酸盐、磷酸盐显著负相关；浮游植物各粒级生产力与温度显著正相关，与盐度、磷酸盐显著负相关。磷酸盐含量是影响东沙海域浮游植物粒级结构差异的重要因素之一，同时，光辐照度和水体的真光层深度对东沙天然气水合物区不同粒径浮游植物的垂直分布起着更为重要的调控作用。     

长江口及邻近海域浮游植物现存量的上下行控制分析

利用2010—2011年度3个季节的调查资料以及广义相加模型(GAM)分析,研究了长江口及邻近海域浮游植物现存量(以叶绿素a浓度表征)的上下行控制作用。调查结果显示,在叶绿素高值区,三航次营养盐含量均比整个海区平均值偏低,且春季呈现三季节最低的磷酸盐(PO4-P)和硅酸盐(SiO3-Si)浓度(平均值分别为0.48和8.96μmol/L)以及最高的氮磷比(DIN/P为43.3),为该海域春季甲藻赤潮频发提供了有利条件。夏季叶绿素高值区的硅氮比(Si/DIN)相对整个调查区较高,而春季和秋季却相近,这与夏季藻华种类主要是硅藻相一致。春、夏两季叶绿素高值区的悬浮物浓度(TSS)在时空比较上均显著低值。浮游动物高值区分布与叶绿素高值区分布虽不完全重合,但有交叉或两者相邻。GAM模型分析结果显示,各环境因子变化对长江口及邻近海域叶绿素变化的贡献可达70%以上,且主要影响因子为盐度和营养盐,而与TSS、浮游动物生物量和温度三因子的直接相关性不显著(p0.05)。受长江冲淡水的影响,盐度与DIN、PO4-P、SiO3-Si、TSS等因子间存在显著的相关关系(p0.001),说明盐度对叶绿素变化的影响可能体现了营养盐和光照条件等因子的作用。上述研究结果表明,在长江口及邻近海域,营养盐的上行效应是浮游植物现存量的主要控制作用,而光照条件和浮游动物生物量与浮游植物现存量虽然在时空分布上存在一定的联系,但非决定性控制因素。     

东海区叶绿素a和初级生产力季节变化特征

依据2008年春季(5月)、夏季(8月)、秋季(11月)和2009年冬季(2月)的现场调查结果,分析了东海区叶绿素a、初级生产力的平面分布、垂直分布和季节变化的特征,并探讨了其影响因素。结果表明,四个航次叶绿素a浓度分别为1.33、0.93、1.61和0.65 mg/m3,秋季春季夏季冬季。春季、夏季和秋季最大值均出现在0—10m水层,冬季最大值出现在底层。叶绿素a浓度远海年季变化较小,近岸区和垂直分布年季变化较大。四个航次初级生产力平均为375.03、414.37、245.45和102.60 mg/(m3 h),夏季秋季春季冬季。叶绿素a浓度和初级生产力水平均高于历史同期值。鱼外渔场的年平均初级生产力最大,海州湾渔场最小。通过分析叶绿素a和环境因子的相关性表明,叶绿素a与浮游植物显著正相关;春季和秋季的低温以及春季和夏季的低盐比较适合浮游植物的生长;活性磷酸盐可能是限制春季和秋季叶绿素a的重要因素。     

Dynamics of the current system in the southern Drake Passage

It has long been seen from satellite ocean color data that strong zonal gradients of phytoplankton biomass persistently occur in the southern Drake Passage during austral summer and fall, where the low productivity Antarctic Surface Water (ASW) within the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) region transforms to the high productivity water. An interdisciplinary cruise was conducted in February and March 2004 to investigate potential physical and biogeochemical processes, which are responsible for transporting nutrients and metals and for enhancing primary production. To explore physical processes at both the meso- and large-scales, surface drifters, a shipboard Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler and conductivity–temperature–depth sensors were used. Analyzing meso- and large-scale hydrography, circulation and eddy activities, it is shown that the topographic rise of the Shackleton Transverse Ridge plays the key role in steering an ACC branch southward west of the ridge, forming an eastward ACC jet through the gap between the ridge and Elephant Island and causing the offshelf transport of shelf waters approximately 1.2 Sv from the shelf near Elephant Island. High mesoscale eddy activities associated with this ACC southern branch and shelf waters transported off the shelf were found. The mixing between the iron-poor warmer ASW of the ACC and iron-rich waters on the shelf through horizontal transport and vertical upwelling processes provides a physical process which could be responsible for the enhanced primary productivity in this region and the southern Scotia Sea.     

Seasonal variability of the surface chlorophyll “a” in the Drake Passage

The seasonal variability of the surface chlorophyll “a” (Chl-s) was studied for five different hydrological areas in the Drake Passage. The data were collected both in the field (December 2001–March 2002, and November 2007) and by satellite observations. One maximum of Chl-s was registered for the area northward of the Antarctic Polar Front in November 2007. This maximum moves southwards to the Antarctic and Continental Antarctic regions in December and January, respectively. The major factors affecting the phytoplankton growth were analyzed, namely, the decrease of the mixed water layer’s depth due to jogging during the austral late spring and summer and seasonal water temperature increase. The comparison of the field and satellite data allows us to conclude that the standard OC4v4 algorithm usually underreports the Chl-s concentration when it exceed 0.2 mg m⁻³.     

Has the 1998 regime shift also occurred in the oceanographic conditions and lower trophic ecosystem of the Oyashio region?

To examine whether the regime shift in 1998 that has been variously reported to have occurred in the oceanographic conditions of the central and eastern North Pacific also occurred in the Oyashio region, western North Pacific, we compared data over the period 1990–2003. Oceanographic conditions were compared before 1997 with those after 1998, using the A-line dataset (1990–2003) obtained by the oceanographic surveys of the Hokkaido National Fisheries Research Institute, Fisheries Research Agency (HNFRI/FRA). Seasonal changes of the monthly-mean SST (as temperature in the surface layer) show a significant increase in spring after 1998. After 1998, the mean concentration of chlorophyll a at the surface was higher in spring than that before 1997. This was more remarkable in the main current of the Oyashio. These changes suggest that the spring phytoplankton bloom in the Oyashio region after 1998 was larger in magnitude and initiated earlier. Consumption of nutrients during the spring bloom and standing stock of netplankton also shows a distinct difference between the time period before 1997 and after 1998. These results support the occurrence of the regime shift around 1998 in the Oyashio region. The changes of hydrographical conditions accompanying with the 1998 regime shift are discussed. The hydrographic mechanism of enhancement of primary productivity during the spring phytoplankton bloom was not fully clarified, though. Results in this study may support the usefulness of the A-line dataset for analysis of long-term variability in the western subarctic Pacific.     

Spatial and temporal variability in South San Francisco Bay (USA). I. Horizontal distributions of salinity, suspended sediments, and phytoplankton biomass and productivity

The horizontal pattern of mesoscale (1–4 km) variability in salinity was a poor predictor of mesoscale patterns in chlorophyll a, suspended particulate matter, and daily primary productivity in the South San Francisco Bay estuary during spring 1987. The tidally-averaged salinity distribution varied over weekly time scales, reflecting inputs of freshwater as well as transport processes. Spatial distributions of the other quantities also varied weekly, but not in concert with the salt field. Spatial patterns of phytoplankton biomass (chlorophyll a) deviated from the salinity patterns, largely reflecting in situ production of phytoplankton biomass during the spring bloom. The tidally-averaged distribution of suspended particulate matter (SPM) was highly dynamic and responded to (1) the riverine input of suspended sediment during a freshet, (2) neap-spring variations in tidally-driven resuspension, and (3) resuspension in shallows following a period of wind mixing. Two-dimensional distributions of primary productivity P′, derived from maps of biomass and turbidity (SPM), also varied weekly, but the spatial variability of P′ was only about half that of SPM and chlorophyll. Since the magnitude and patterns of spatial variability differ among nonconservative quantities, at least in part because of local sources and sinks, we conclude that the spatial distributions of nonconservative quantities cannot be predicted from distributions of conservative tracers, such as salinity.