Collaborative Research: Comparative Modeling and Data Analysis Studies for the Ross Sea and West Antarctic Peninsula Regions: A JGOFS synthesis and Modeling Project

作者将开发一套物理和生物模型，将在罗斯海收集的数据集作为美国南大洋联合全球海洋通量研究（JGOFS）的一部分，并从南极西部半岛地区收集的数据集在帕尔默龙？长期生态研究计划。建模工作将结合对这些数据集的分析以及对这两个区域历史数据集的分析。数据分析和建模活动的目的是提供综合，允许比较两个系统中的相似性和差异，从而允许在这两个系统中的浮游植物生产力和生长的控制的基本问题得到解决。一般的重点是了解光的作用，宏观？和微量营养素的限制，和循环在生产中观察到的水平和垂直梯度的浮游植物分布和生产。因此，数据分析和模型模拟将被用来测试特定的假设，在这两个地区的浮游植物生长，生产和物种组成的调节。 这项研究将直接解决几个主要的综合和建模项目的研究主题，特别是那些与了解控制初级生产和出口生产的过程。此外，从南极的另一个区域的数据集的合并提供了一个机制，将在美国JGOFS南大洋计划期间获得的观测到一个更广泛的背景下。这项研究将是第一次以这种方式系统地比较和对比南极地区。作者认为，合作研究的结果将对南大洋营养级模型的发展产生重大影响，并对世界海洋其他区域的生态系统水平研究产生影响。

The authors will develop a suite of physical and biological models that incorporate data sets collected in the Ross Sea as part of the U.S. Southern Ocean Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS) and data sets from the west Antarctic Peninsula region collected during the Palmer Long?Term Ecological Research program. The modeling effort will be in conjunction with analyses of these data sets as well as analyses of historical data sets from the two regions. The intent of the data analyses and modeling activities is to provide syntheses that allow comparison of similarities and differences in the two systems and thereby allowing fundamental questions on the controls of phytoplankton productivity and growth in these two systems to be addressed. The general focus is on understanding the role of light, macro? and micronutrient limitation, and circulation in producing the observed horizontal and vertical gradients in phytoplankton distribution and production. Thus, the data analyses and model simulations will be used to test specific hypotheses concerning the regulation of phytoplankton growth, production, and species composition in the two regions. This study will directly address several of the major Synthesis and Modeling Project research themes, especially those related to understanding processes controlling primary production and export production. Also, the incorporation of data sets from another region of the Antarctic provides a mechanism for placing the observations obtained during the U.S. JGOFS Southern Ocean program into a broader context. This study will be the first to systematically compare and contrast regions of the Antarctic in this manner. The authors believe that the results of the collaborative research will have a significant impact on development of trophic level models within the Southern Ocean, and also have implications for ecosystem level studies in other regions of the world ocean.