Eos · 1998 · 336 citations · 0 references
Natural SciencesMarine SciencesOceanographyMarine BiogeochemistryMarine EcologyPhysical OceanographyBiogeochemical Ocean ModelingMarine BiogeographyMarine Ecosystem DynamicsMarine Ecosystem ModelingOcean EcologyOpen Ocean BiogeochemistryOcean Biogeochemical FluxesOcean Circulation ChangesOcean Circulation ModelsOcean Productivity VariabilityOceanic Biogeographic RegionsOceanic Carbon BudgetsOpen Ocean Ecosystem DynamicsSeasonal Nutrient Variability
The programs of the first wave of global ocean programs, particularly the World Ocean Circulation Experiment and the Joint Global Ocean Flux Study, are coming to an end and the second wave is taking shape. Foci for the new programs include the variability at seasonal to decadal scales and the consequences of physical changes for biogeochemical and ecological processes. Will it be enough to describe the changes in these processes by relatively simple models of carbon and nutrient flux? Or do we need to know how the biology is coupled to the physics in different ocean regions, how species differ between these regions, and what data are available and at what spatial scales?