New ocean ecological provinces from physics

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project Area: New Ocean Paradigm on Its Biogeochemistry, Ecosystem and Sustainable Use
• Project/Area Number: 24121002
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (Research in a proposed research area)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Review Section: Complex systems
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Itoh Sachihiko 東京大学, 大気海洋研究所, 准教授 (80345058)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 纐纈 慎也 国立研究開発法人海洋研究開発機構, 地球環境観測研究開発センター, 主任研究員 (30421887) ; 奥西 武 国立研究開発法人水産研究・教育機構, 東北区水産研究所, グループ長 (60374576)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): KANEKO Hitoshi 水産研究・教育機構, 東北区水産研究所, 研究支援職員 (30772793)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-06-28 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 海洋物理 / 中規模渦 / モード水 / 栄養塩供給

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The present study investigated the physical structure of the global ocean through observation and data analysis, and evaluate their impacts on ecosystems using numerical models, based on an assumption that the mode waters and mesoscale eddies distinguish marine biogeography. Observations and data analyses especially focused on the western North Pacific, and ecosystem models are used to examine and interpret the results derived from the observations and the data analyses. New ocean provinces were then proposed based on physical oceanography, which clearly corresponds to provinces defined through chlorophyll a and nutrient concentrations. In conclusion, the present study contributed to present a new ocean paradigm from the physical aspect and the linkage between the physical and ecosystem processes.

Free Research Field

海洋物理学