Simulation of eddy-driven phytoplankton production in the Black Sea

A three dimensional, three-layer biological model is used to assess impact of eddy-dominated horizontal circulation on the spatial and temporal variat ions of plankton biomass in the Black Sea. Simulations are shown to exhibit patchy distributions of phytoplankton biomass as inferred from satellite i mages, and their intensities agree reasonably well with observations. Overa ll performance of the three layer model points to its potential capability as a practical alternative tool to more complex and computationally expensi ve multi-level models, without sacrificing much from the basics of the ecos ystem dynamics.