Biological Consequences of Tidal Stirring Gradients in the North Sea [and Discussion]

Tidal stirring gradients, interacting with seasonal variation in photosynthetically active radiation, sea-surface heating, and wind stirring, are proposed as the most important controls on plankton in the southern North Sea. The hypothesis, in the form of a numerical model, is tested against observa...

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Published inPhilosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series A: Mathematical, physical, and engineering sciences Vol. 343; no. 1669; p. 493
Main Authors P. B. Tett, I. R. Joint, D. A. Purdie, M. Baars, S. Oosterhuis, G. Daneri, F. Hannah, D. K. Mills, D. Plummer, A. J. Pomroy, A. W. Walne, H. J. Witte, M. J. Howarth, R. Lankester
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published The Royal Society 15.06.1993
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Summary:Tidal stirring gradients, interacting with seasonal variation in photosynthetically active radiation, sea-surface heating, and wind stirring, are proposed as the most important controls on plankton in the southern North Sea. The hypothesis, in the form of a numerical model, is tested against observations during 1988/89 of seasonal cycles and spatial variation in phyto- and zoo-plankton. The importance of the tidal mixing front, and the effects of residual circulation and nutrient-rich river discharges, are discussed, and estimates given of microplankton community production and its fate.
ISSN:1364-503X
1471-2962
DOI:10.1098/rsta.1993.0061