기후변화가 동해, 황해, 동중국해 지역의 엽록소최대층과 기초생산력 변동에 끼치는 연구

Abstract

The seasonal cycle and magnitude of marine primary production (PP) is projected tochange in response to future climate variability. It is likely that the changes in PP will also influence the structure and dynamic of the marine ecosystem and food web interaction. Studies have shown that the global PP appears to have decreased over the past several decades. Especially, recent global prediction models have indicated that the PP is expected to decrease in the mid-latitudinal marginal seas. However, the challenges in understanding and predicting PP in response to climate variability is quite complex, particularly the change of PP in the subsurface chlorophyll maximum (SCM) layer is not well addressed. In this study, we examined characteristics of SCM in the in the East Sea, Yellow Sea, and East China Sea. We also analyzed how the physical factors (temperature, salinity, sigma-t, etc.) affect the SCM variability using the in-situ data collected from CTD profiler. Our results showed that the depth of SCM layers highly correlates with MLD, as SCM being formed at or above the base of the thermocline. As global warming continues, stratification will be strengthened which will alter the depth and density gradient of the thermocline. This, in turn, will change the formation and depth of SCM, and subsequently primary productivity of the upper mixed layer ocean. In this context, we will also discuss the further implication of such potential changes in SCM dynamics in the Korean water.