ABR: New Production in the Eastern Equatorial Pacific and its Relation to Flux of Nitrogen and Carbon

该项目代表着对涌现的新生产工艺的持续研究的以成果为基础的更新。主要目标是检验根据海岸和赤道测量得出的假设，并相应地修改目前的上升流系统新产量模型。选择进行这项研究的地区是蒙特利湾，在那里，两年来每隔两周就会测量一次氮吸收。季节循环显示了公海和上升流条件之间的交替，从而可以比较这两种情况，一种预计将显示公海、少营养特征和其他富营养化的沿海上升流参数。该项目试图了解触发从一个生态系统向另一个生态系统过渡的因素。基本假设是，硝酸盐进入初级生产者的过程是决定海洋生态系统营养状况的关键因素。此外，以前的结果表明，开发新的开花比例的关键因素是硝酸盐浓度和环境照度。这两个因素为低新生产条件和高新生产之间的加速过程设定了界限。该项目的结果将有助于建立新的生产及其对碳循环的影响的全球模型。研究结果尤其有助于理解上升流生态系统在全球新生产和碳循环中的作用。

This project represents an accomplishment based renewal for continuing studies of upwelling new production processes. The major goals are to test hypotheses developed from coastal and equatorial measurements and to modify current models of upwelling system new production accordingly. The region selected for the study is Monterey Bay where nitrogen uptake has been measured at 2 weeks intervals for 2 years. The seasonal cycle shows an alternation between open ocean and upwelling conditions allowing a comparison of the 2 regimes, one expected to show open ocean, oligotrophic characteristics and the other eutrophic coastal upwelling parameters. The project seeks to understand the factors which trigger the transition from the one ecosystem to the other. The basic hypothesis is that the process of nitrate incorporation into the primary producers is the key factor in determining the trophic status of a marine ecosystem. Further, previous results indicate that the critical factors in development of new production of bloom proportions are nitrate concentration and ambient irradiance. These 2 factors set boundaries for the acceleration process between low new production conditions and high new production. The results of this project will contribute to global models of new production and its impact on carbon cycling. The results should be especially helpful in understanding the role of upwelling ecosystems in global new production and carbon cycling.