Rizzoli OCE-9633145 The general circulation, biogeochemical cycling and plankton dynamics of the lower trophic level of the Black Sea will be investigated using a hierarchy of increasing complex interdisciplinary numerical models. First a one-dimensional coupled physical-biological model will be used to improve our understanding of the biogenic element cycling, pelagic ecosystem carbon and energy flow and microbial processes within the deep interior and shelf regions of the Black Sea. Then three-dimensional studies will look at (a) the pathways of nutrient transport and plankton productivity on the regional scale; (b) the patchiness of chlorophyll concentrations in relation to mesoscale features of the general circulation; and (c) the exchange of nutrients and biogenic materials between the shelf and interior. The model results will be compared with in-situ observations collected by several international programs.
