The impact of physical processes on primary and secondary production in temperate shelf seas


Panton, Anouska (2012) The impact of physical processes on primary and secondary production in temperate shelf seas. Doctor of Philosophy thesis, University of Liverpool.

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Abstract

The shelf seas account for only 9% of the surface area of the global ocean, yet are estimated to be responsible for 16% of global primary productivity and 47% of global annual carbon export. While the importance of these seas in the marine carbon cycle is well-recognised, the relationship between the physical environment and the magnitude and fate of biological production is still largely undetermined. Using a range of approaches, this project examined the relationship between physical processes and biological carbon flow over various time and space scales in a temperate shelf sea. Autonomous high-resolution sensor surveys in Liverpool Bay and the Irish Sea reveal that this region is net autotrophic on an annual scale with estimates of regional net community production rates based on oxygen mass balance ranging from 1.3 to 4.2 mol C m-2 y-1. The highest NCP rates were measured in a Region Of Freshwater Influence (Liverpool Bay). Ship-based sampling in the Celtic Sea illustrated the influence of water column structure on rates of primary and bacterial production and community structure. The highest rates of primary production were observed in the fully mixed water column (55.1 mmol C m-2 d-1). However, bacterial ... (continues)

Item Type: Thesis (Doctor of Philosophy)
Additional Information: Date: 2012-08 (completed)
Uncontrolled Keywords: shelf sea, primary production, net community production
Divisions: Faculty of Science and Engineering > School of Environmental Sciences
Depositing User: Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited: 03 Sep 2013 08:32
Last Modified: 05 Apr 2025 17:24
DOI: 10.17638/00009713
Supervisors:
URI: https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/9713
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