Vertical Structure of Ocean Waters and Biological Productivity

Abstract

It is a widely accepted opinion that phytoplankton need light and nutrients for growth and reproduction. The source of light comes from above, while the source of nutrients is at depth. Therefore, to bring the nutrients to the surface, vertical water fluxes are needed. As we showed in the previous chapters, there is a variety of hydrodynamic processes, such as upwelling, turbulent and tidal mixing, and internal waves, all resulting in a vertical transport of water mass. A complete description of the link between vertical structure of ocean water and biological ocean productivity is out of the scope of this book. Rather, this broad subject deserves its own separate book. In this chapter we will only provide some examples of the influence of vertical ocean structure on primary production.