A turbulent diatom vs dinoflagellate phytoplankton biomass model

Phytoplankton blooms play an important role in global primary productivity and the dynamics of blooms are of interest to modellers. Diatom dominated phytoplankton blooms followed by dinoflagellate blooms are common in the Southern Benguela, and are often associated with Harmful Algal Blooms. A well-known ecological explanation for the succession of diatoms to dinoflagellates is given by Margalef’s Mandala which attributes the successional change to the interaction between turbulence and available nutrient concentration. This study introduced a simple variable accounting for the effects of turbulence to a numerical model describing diatom and dinoflagellate growth in order to emulate the common successional pattern. Succession was successfully modelled by reducing the maximum growth rate of diatoms in stratified conditions. The model was then used to investigate the predictions of Margalef’s Mandala. This study unpicks the relationship between nutrients, turbulence, diatoms and dinoflagellates through a simple 0D phytoplankton model with interesting insight into the role of turbulence in phytoplankton dynamics.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Department of Biological Sciences

Year dc:date.issued

2013

Author dc:creator

• Kennedy, Kristen

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Moloney, Coleen

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11427/7623

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/7623