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General Session 1: Physical oceanic processes: Dynamics and physical-biological-biogeochemical interactions |
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The origin and fate of biogenic particles in summer trans-China Sea transport
Monday 9th @ 1450-1505
Conference Hall
James T. Liu* , Department of Oceanography, National Sun Yat-sen University
Bangqin Huang, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University
Yi Chang, Department of Hydraulic & Ocean Engineering and Institute of Ocean Technology and Marine Affairs, National Cheng-Kung University
Presenter Email: james@mail.nsysu.edu.tw
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| Bio-physical coupling in coastal oceans creates two types of ecosystems differentiated by nutrient sources, i.e. those from land delivered by the warm surface river plume and those from the cold subsurface marine water delivered by upwelling. They have not been sufficiently studied together to differentiate them in terms of particulate chlorophyll characteristics and the nature of bio-physical coupling. Here we show that both types exist in the Taiwan Strait in summer. Major and secondary factors affecting the water-borne properties of these systems are the water temperature and salinity at all depths, suggesting physical processes. Our findings also show the 3-D nature in the bio-physical coupling of these ecosystems. Microphytoplankton is the major contributor to the phytoplankton biomass in both systems at all depths and the picophytoplankton is the minor contributor in subsurface upwelling ecosystems. Nanoplankton’s contribution is relative insignificant. When the river plume and upwelling regimes overlap, there is indication of strong presence of zooplankton and related grazing activities. Both the river plume and upwelling water masses also carry non-biogenic terrestrial and marine sourced clastic sediment. Tidal process facilitates the dispersal of both types of water masses. The net direction of transport of all the biogenic particles is northward, from the South China Sea to the East China Sea. As world economy continues to development, terrestrial nutrient input to the sea will increase. The climate change will strengthen the upwelling systems. These two factors would affect these two ecosystems in the coastal ocean and further alter the global marine environment. |
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