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

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