Method Development for Unenclosed Mesoscale Iron Enrichment Experiments and Galapagos Plume Studies

关于加拉帕戈斯羽流起源的研究正在进行中；这一特征是通过卫星海洋彩色图像记录下来的，图像显示加拉帕戈斯群岛上有明显的高浮游植物色素羽流。 通过传统的船上研究也观察到了加拉帕戈斯群岛下游浮游植物丰度增加的现象。 以低生产力、高营养水为特征的地区的高生产力区可能是由以下几种假设过程之一造成的： 1. 从加拉帕戈斯平台水域引入“种子”种群，然后产生观察到的水华。 2. 以浮游动物为主的环境平衡被破坏，当水流过平台导致浮游动物失去控制时，就会引起水华，以及 3. 当这些营养丰富的水域经过加拉帕戈斯群岛附近时，稀有元素铁被引入到这些水域中，从而导致先前受到抑制的水华状况得以发展。 计划对羽流周围和内部的营养物、铁和其他微量元素、生产力、POC、DOC、PON、DON、浮游植物和浮游动物生长率以及相关参数进行测量，以检验这些假设。

A study of the origin of the Galapagos plume is underway; the feature is documented through satellite ocean color images showing a marked plume of high phytoplankton pigments streaming off the Galapagos Islands. The phenomenon of enhanced phytoplankton abundance down current from the Galapagos Islands has also been observed via traditional shipboard studies. The high productivity zone in a region marked by low productivity, high nutrient waters may result from one of several hypothesized processes: 1. Introduction of a "seed" population from the Galapagos platform waters which then generates the observed bloom. 2. Disruption of an environmental balance dominated by zooplankton, and a bloom caused when flow of water over the platform causes zooplankton to lose control, and 3. Introduction of the scarce element Fe into the nutrient rich waters as they pass near the Galapagos Islands, allowing a previously inhibited bloom condition to develop. Measurements of nutrients, Fe and other trace elements, productivity, POC, DOC, PON, DON, phytoplankton and zooplankton growth rates and related parameters around and inside the plume are planned to test the hypotheses.