EFFECTS OF INTERACTION BETWEEN 2 WARM-CORE RINGS ON PHYTOPLANKTON DISTRIBUTION

A modeling study was conducted to investigate the effects of interaction between two warm-core rings on the phytoplankton distribution. Using a quasi-geostrophic reduced-gravity model, the interaction between two vortices was calculated to reproduce the partial vortex merger between two warm-core rings, 86B and OR. On the calculated flow field, the three-dimensional model of plankton dynamics generated high phytoplankton biomass at the edge of the merged vortex. In the model, phytoplankton grew due to nutrient transport into the euphotic zone by upward motion of water caused by meanders of the current followed by the partial vortex merger. Further, the model reproduced the horizontal distribution of phytoplankton observed in 86B.