Date

2011-2-03

Author

Yumruktepe, Veli Çağlar

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This study aims at investigating the limiting nutrient(s) inMersin Bay to determine appropriate water treatment procedures for the cessation of eutrophication. In-situ physics, chemistry and biology data were collected on the continental shelf of Mersin Bay from 2008 to 2010. To test the influence of river discharges and define the limiting nutrient(s), the Delft3D coupled ecosystem model was used. Themodel is forced by boundary conditions derived from CYCOFOS forecast data, ERA-INTERIM climatic forcing, river discharges and remotely sensed wind patterns, while the collected data were used to calibrate the simulations. Sensitivity analyses suggest that phosphorus is the limiting nutrient. Vertical mixing and stratification due to seasonal temperature variations play an important role in controlling phosphate concentrations and distributions and therefore influence the dominant algal distribution in the water column. The coastal and offshore waters of Mersin Bay show different ecosystem characteristics. Coastal waters are influenced by river discharge and offshore waters are influenced by the general circulation of the Cilician Basin, which suggests that coastal waters remain trapped near the coast by the offshore general circulation. Analyses also show the influence of atmospheric deposition on primary production, especially during periods of strong stratification by 25 % increase in production where there is reduced vertical supply of phosphorus from below the seasonal thermocline.

Subject Keywords

nutrient limitation, primary production, 3D coupled ecosystem modelling, Cilician Basin, river discharge

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/101145

Collections

Graduate School of Marine Sciences, Thesis