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Control of phytoplankton production by physical forcing in a strongly tidal, well-mixed estuary
1Laboratory of Chemical Oceanography and Water Geochemistry and Department of Water Pollution Control, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Boulevard du Triomphe (CP208), 1050 Brussels, Belgium
2Biogeochemical System Dynamics, Department of Geochemistry, Utrecht University, 3508 TA Utrecht, The Netherlands
†Deceased on 28 July 2004
Abstract. A model for phytoplanktonic production in turbid, macro-tidal estuaries is proposed. It is based on the description of light-dependent algal growth, phytoplankton respiration and mortality. The model is forced by solar irradiance, mixing depth and light penetration. The extinction coefficient is directly related to the dynamics of suspended particulate matter. Model results show that the description of phytoplankton growth must operate at a time resolution sufficiently high to describe the interference between solarly and tidally driven physical forcing functions. It also demonstrates that in tidal and turbid estuaries, the short-term variation of the euphotic depth to mixing depth ratio has to be resolved for production estimates and that net positive phytoplankton production can be achieved in areas of high turbidity. The model is used to explain the typical phytoplankton decay observed along the longitudinal gradient of salinity in turbid estuaries, using the Western Scheldt as an example.
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Citation: Desmit, X., Vanderborght, J. P., Regnier, P., and Wollast, R.: Control of phytoplankton production by physical forcing in a strongly tidal, well-mixed estuary, Biogeosciences Discuss., 2, 37-75, 2005. Bibtex EndNote Reference Manager
