The Effects of Mesoscale Eddies on Phytoplankton Community Structure, Total Production, and the F-Ratio in Open-Ocean Waters

夏威夷群岛附近形成的中尺度气旋涡旋 将被用来研究上升流事件对 公海的生产力、组成、生物量和生理学 浮游植物种群 最近的技术和方法 将利用预付款更准确地确定比率， 新产量占总产量的比率（f-比率）和时间 以及该比率在公海中的空间变异性。 两 简单的经验模型和更复杂的分区模型 模型将被测试其描述和解释 观察到f比率变化。 预计新产量将 使用最近开发的硝酸盐分析方法获得， 精确度为+/- 2nM。 总产量估计为 C-14标记的无机碳掺入蛋白质。 这种实验性的方法将消除许多潜在的 与传统f比相关的伪影和问题 研究，包括因增加非 示踪剂N-15的量，基质池的同位素稀释， 测量环境基质浓度的困难， 需要测量至少三种形式的溶解氮的吸收， 而事实上，细菌可能占了很大一部分， 的吸收。 海洋的生物生产力 在很大程度上，地理。 中亚热带地区 例如夏威夷群岛附近， 通常相对较低。 然而， 当地的沃茨，如在西部发现的圆形漩涡， 岛屿可以通过增加供应来提高生产力， 植物生长所需的营养物质转移到地表沃茨。 法律与辨方 将使用最先进的技术来测量这些变化 在生物生产中，并将其与 共同体。 他们将对 新的生产，这是一个参数，是关键的估计 地表沃茨有机物质通量及其有效性 可收获的资源。 在一个地区进行研究 在那里发现的海洋漩涡将提供广泛的 生物海洋学条件可能被发现在 开阔的海洋。

Mesoscale Cyclonic Eddies Formed Near the Hawaiian Islands will be utilized to study the effects of upwelling events on the productivity, composition, biomass, and physiology of open-ocean phytoplankton populations. Recent technical and methodological advances will be utilized to more accurately determine the ratio of new production to total production (f-ratio) and the temporal and spatial variability of that ratio in the open ocean. Both simple empirical models and more sophisticated compartmental models will be tested for their ability to describe and explain observed f-ratio variations. Estimates of new production will be obtained using a recently developed nitrate analysis method with a precision of +/- 2nM. Total production will be estimated from the incorporation of C-14 labeled inorganic carbon into protein. This experimental approach will eliminate many of the potential artifacts and problems associated with traditional f-ratio studies, including perturbations caused by the addition of non- tracer amounts of N-15, isotope dilution of the substrate pool, difficulty in measuring ambient substrate concentrations, the need to measure uptake of at least three forms of dissolved N, and the fact that bacteria may account for a significant fraction of the uptake of ammonium. The biological productivity of the ocean varies geographically to a great degree. In mid-basin subtropical areas such as thevicinity of the Hawaiian Islands, production is typically relatively low. However, physical features of the local waters such as the circular eddies found to the west of the islands can enhance productivity by increasing the supply of nutrients for plant growth to surface waters. Laws and Bienfang will use state of the art techniques to measure these variations in biological production and relate it to the structure of the planktonic community. They will make sensitive measurements of new production, a parameter that is critical in estimating the flux of organic material from surface waters and its availability for harvestable resources. Conducting the studies in an area where oceanic eddies are found will provide a wide range of biological oceanographic conditions likely to be found in the open ocean.