Modelling Studies of Coupled Biological-Physical Processes Affecting Recruitment on Georges Bank

该项目涉及开发一系列耦合的生物-物理模型，以检查风强迫和季节性分层对浮游动物和鱼类向乔治滩聚集的影响。这些模型将研究理想化的河岸生态系统的瞬态强迫和季节性强迫的影响，目的是阐明导致营养解耦的机制。营养解耦是由于群落内种群在空间或时间上的错位造成的，可导致受影响种群的快速增长或枯竭。物理模型将着重于理想化的河岸和岸架系统对风强迫和季节性浮力强迫的反应。生物模型将有三个主要目标：(1)了解“冲刷”事件和平流损失对营养相互作用和补充的长期影响；(2)研究潮锋动力对营养耦合和生产的影响机制；(3)探索降低生物模型复杂性的新技术，同时保持生物系统的鲁棒性。这项工作的最终目的是研究生物和物理系统之间的耦合，特别是平流损失对鳕鱼和黑线鳕补充的影响以及潮锋对初级和次级生产的影响。然后，这些结果可以进行测试，并用于指导即将进行的现场观测和进一步分析历史数据。

The project involves the development of a series of coupled biological-physical models to examine the effects of wind forcing and seasonal stratification on the recruitment of zooplankton and fish to Georges Bank. These models will examine the influence of transient and seasonal forcing of an idealized bank ecosystem, with the goal of elucidating the mechanisms which lead to trophic uncoupling. Trophic uncoupling results from spatial or temporal dislocation of populations within a community, and can lead to rapid growth or depletion of affected populations. Physical modelling will focus on the response of an idealized bank and bank-shelf system to wind forcing and to seasonal buoyancy forcing. The biological modelling will have three major objectives: (1) to understand the long term effects of `wash out` events and advective losses on trophic interactions and recruitment; (2) to study the mechanisms by which the dynamics at tidal fronts influence trophic coupling and production; and )3) to explore novel techniques of reducing complexity of biological models while maintainin g biological system necessary for robustness. The ultimate goal of this work is to investigate the couplings between the biological and physical systems, in particular the effect of advective losses on recruitment of cod and haddock and the influence of tidal fronts on primary and secondary production. These results can then be tested by, and used to guide the upcoming field observations and further analysis of historical data.