. The Eastern Bering Sea Shelf : oceanography and resources / edited by Donald W. Hood and John A. Calder. Oceanography Bering Phytoplankton distribution 935 continental shelf of this region are renowned for large populations of shell and finfishes, birds, seals, and whales, all species in higher trophic levels. The early studies of the biology of this region of the shelf were based on information that suggested a cyclonic circulation pattern over the broad south- eastern shelf; the concept was of a "river in the sea" (somewhat analogous to the Atlantic Gulf Stream) within whic
. The Eastern Bering Sea Shelf : oceanography and resources / edited by Donald W. Hood and John A. Calder. Oceanography Bering Phytoplankton distribution 935 continental shelf of this region are renowned for large populations of shell and finfishes, birds, seals, and whales, all species in higher trophic levels. The early studies of the biology of this region of the shelf were based on information that suggested a cyclonic circulation pattern over the broad south- eastern shelf; the concept was of a "river in the sea" (somewhat analogous to the Atlantic Gulf Stream) within which biological events in time and space could be followed as the water moved downstream. However, the physical oceanographic studies of Coachman and his colleagues (Coachman 1978; Coachman and Charnell 1977 and 1979; Kinder and Schumacher, Chapter 5, Volume 1) provided the first evidence that the "river in the sea" circulation pattern was incorrect and a new conceptual model of the shelf circulation was needed. These studies provided hydrographic and current data which showed that cyclonic circulation was so slow as to be insignificant on a biological time-scale of days to weeks, in comparison with other circulation pat- terns. Instead, the shelf contains a well-developed, relatively stable system formed by the interaction of the waters of the open Bering Sea with those of the shelf. The waters over the southeastern Bering Sea shelf are highly structured and consist of discrete domains divided by distinct oceanographic fronts. A concep- tual water circulation model used to direct PROBES research is given in Fig. 56-2. Three fronts have been found on this shelf, all approximately parallel to the bathymetry. They occur where there is a change in the lateral flux rates due to alterations in water mixing energies and other topographic features of the shelf (at least for spring through fall). The shelf break front occurs in the upper 50 m over the 150- to 200-m depth zone. T
Size: 1882px × 1328px
Photo credit: © The Book Worm / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookcollectionamericana, bookdecade1980, bookspo
