Diurnal Patterns in the Persistence of "Thin-Layers" of Marine Snow, Zooplankton, and Turbulent Microstructure in Coastal Waters

Abstract

Accumulations of marine snow and phytoplankton in layers ranging from centimeters to meters have been observed in the coastal ocean and in fjords. These accumulations serve as foci for enhanced biological activity for microbes up to fish larvae. Our long-term goal is to develop a predictive understanding of how physical processes contribute to the formation of these layers as well as their eventual break up. Such information will allow determination of the contribution of thin-layers to the oceanic food chain, as well as determination of the impact of thin-layers on optical and acoustical properties of the water column.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 30, 1999
Accession Number
ADA629656

Entities

People

  • Alice L. Alldredge
  • Sally Macintyre

Organizations

  • University of California, Santa Barbara

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Food Chains
  • Frequency
  • Internal Waves
  • Isotherms
  • Kinetic Energy
  • Marine Biology
  • Microstructure
  • Oceanography
  • Oceans
  • Optical Properties
  • Particles
  • Solitons
  • Temperature Gradients
  • Ultrasounds
  • Water Masses
  • Waves
  • Zooplankton

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Coastal Oceanography
  • Marine Ecotoxicology