Seasonal and interannual variability in the East Sea ecosystem: effects of nutrient transport through the Korea Strait

Abstract

There has been a long debate on roles of nutrient supply through the Korea Strait (KS) on the East Sea (Japan Sea) ecosystem because the nutrient concentration appears to be relatively low compared with the concentration in the East Sea, although considerable amount of nutrient is supply to the East Sea through the KS. In this study, we investigated the effects of the nutrient supply through the KS on the seasonal and interannual variability in the southern East Sea ecosystem. By using a four-compartment NPZD model coupled with a three-dimensional circulation model, numerical experiments were conducted with three different conditions (noflux, seasonally-varying flux with and without year-to-year variation) of nutrient flux through the KS. The results suggest that the nutrient flux through the KS contributes to the primary productivity in the southern East Sea. The magnitude of the phytoplankton blooms is also influenced by the nutrient transport. We will also present indirect contribution of the nutrient flux through KS to the primary productivity of the southern East Sea.though considerable amount of nutrient is supply to the East Sea through the KS. In this study, we investigated the effects of the nutrient supply through the KS on the seasonal and interannual variability in the southern East Sea ecosystem. By using a four-compartment NPZD model coupled with a three-dimensional circulation model, numerical experiments were conducted with three different conditions (noflux, seasonally-varying flux with and without year-to-year variation) of nutrient flux through the KS. The results suggest that the nutrient flux through the KS contributes to the primary productivity in the southern East Sea. The magnitude of the phytoplankton blooms is also influenced by the nutrient transport. We will also present indirect contribution of the nutrient flux through KS to the primary productivity of the southern East Sea.