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Subject: OS027: Eddies and Fronts: Mesoscale Physical-Biological-Biogeochemical Linkages in the Open Ocean

Conveners: Claudia R. Benitez-Nelson University of South Carolina Columbia, SC, USA 29208 (803) 777-0018 cbnelson@geol.sc.edu

Dennis J. McGillicuddy, Jr. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Woods Hole, MA, USA 02543 5082892683 dmcgillicuddy@whoi.edu Index Terms: 4520 4805 4806 4845 4855 .

Mesoscale currents, fronts, and eddies are ubiquitous and particularly energetic aspects of ocean circulation. These phenomena accommodate a diverse set of physical, chemical, and biological interactions that influence the distribution and variability of biogeochemical constituents within the water column. In the most general terms, the impact of these motions on biogeochemical cycling is twofold: not only do they transport water and its properties, they can also modulate the rates of chemical and biological processes. Common manifestations of the latter are associated with vertical transports that can affect the availability of both nutrients and light to phytoplankton, and thereby the rate of primary production. Despite a great deal of progress on this topic, the nature of the underlying physical-biogeochemical linkages has yet to be fully elucidated. Recent evidence suggests that mesoscale physical disturbances cause shifts in planktonic species composition which subsequently lead to large fluctuations in export. This session invites presentations on all aspects of mesoscale biogeochemical dynamics, with an emphasis on the complex and highly nonlinear biological and chemical processes that regulate the role of mesoscale phenomena in large-scale mean biogeochemical budgets. Submissions from ongoing observational efforts in the Pacific (E-FLUX: http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/oceanography/eddy/eddy.html) and Atlantic (EDDIES: http://science.whoi.edu/users/mcgillic/eddies/EDDIES_Project.html) are anticipated; contributions outside these programs are encouraged as well.

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