Drivers of Plankton Patch Formation, Persistence and Decline in East Sound, Orcas Island, Washington

Abstract

Localized concentrations of plankton (i.e. patches) alter the optical and acoustical properties of the water column and can have significant ramifications for the ecological dynamics of marine communities. The goal of this research is to develop a mechanistic understanding and predictive capability of the relative importance of biological versus physical processes in the formation, persistence, and decline of plankton patches. This goal is addressed by concurrent characterization of physical water column structure, advective fluid flow, and plankton population rates of growth and grazing.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 30, 2011
Accession Number
ADA598284

Entities

People

  • Susanne Menden-deuer

Organizations

  • University of Rhode Island

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aquatic Organisms
  • Biological Processes
  • Ecology
  • Fluid Flow
  • High Resolution
  • Islands
  • Marine Biology
  • Measurement
  • Oceanography
  • Oceans
  • Phytoplankton
  • Plankton
  • Production
  • Production Rate
  • Productivity
  • Puerto Rico
  • Rhode Island

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Acoustical Oceanography.
  • Aquatic Ecology
  • Ocean-Atmosphere Mesoscale Modeling, Data Assimilation, and Flux Boundary Layers