Thermocline characteristics and phytoplankton dynamics in Agulhas Bank waters

Eastern and central Agulhas Bank waters are characterized by strong, shallow thermoclines and well developed subsurface maxima of phytoplankton biomass. The thermoclines are advectively maintained and as such are dynamically stable, but they do exhibit short-term variations in absolute temperature gradients. There are corresponding variations in subsurface phytoplankton biomass maxima. The water-column phytoplankton production maxima are generally situated in the biomass maxima because these are sufficiently shallow to ensure adequate light. Self-shading becomes a limiting factor with the development of high phytoplankton biomasses. Western Agulhas Bank waters are characterized by deeper thermoclines and less intense subsurface maxima of phytoplankton biomass. Due to the depth of the thermoclines the biomass maxima are generally situated below the depth of the 1-per-cent surface light intensity and, consequently, phytoplankton production is limited. Possible mechanisms for the maintenance of these deep chlorophyll maxima are discussed.