Massive shelf dense water flow influences plankton community structure and particle transport over long distance.

ABSTRACT: Dense waters (DW) formation in shelf areas and their cascading off the shelf break play a major role in ventilating deep waters, thus potentially affecting ecosystem functioning and biogeochemical cycles. However, whether DW flow across shelves may affect the composition and structure of plankton communities down to the seafloor and the particles transport over long distances has not been fully investigated. Following the 2012 north Adriatic Sea cold outbreak, DW masses were intercepted at ca. 460 km south the area of origin and compared to resident ones in term of plankton biomass partitioning (pico to micro size) and phytoplankton species composition. Results indicated a relatively higher contribution of heterotrophs in DW than in deep resident water masses, probably as result of DW-medi

SUBMITTER: Bernardi Aubry F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5852251 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature