"A Modelling Study of Emiliania huxleyi in the NE Atlantic"
Tyrrell, T. & Taylor, A.H. (1995) A modelling study of Emiliania
huxleyi in the NE Atlantic. Journal of Marine Systems special
issue on Emiliania huxleyi, 9(1/2):195-203.
Conclusions
``The specific environmental conditions that favour the growth of
coccolithophores in the Northeast Atlantic have not been identified.''
(Malin et al, 1993). This modelling study has attempted to answer
this question for E. huxleyi by simulating the conditions in the
northeastern Atlantic, in particular during the spring and summer of 1991.
Several assumptions are made in the model, both about E. huxleyi and
about the environmental conditions at the time of the 1991 bloom. These
assumptions are carefully derived from data, and the degree of dependence of
the model results on these assumptions was investigated using sensitivity
analyses (section 4.1).
The model results give support to two causal factors in particular: (1) high
light intensities in the surface layer, caused by high incident light
intensities and a shallow mixing depth, and brought about in turn by
calm and sunny weather; and (2) low inorganic phosphate concentrations, in
conjunction with less limiting nitrate concentrations, which may be
associated with waters north of the Sub-Arctic Front.
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Toby Tyrrell : T.Tyrrell@noc.soton.ac.uk