Abstract
The suggestion that the annual cycle of plant production in tropical oceanic regions may be negligible or non-existent is examined, using data from a year-long cruise series in the eastern tropical Pacific. Results of analysis of variance show a highly significant seasonal effect. Average values of the seasonal cycle were found to range from 127 to 318 mg C/m2/day, a systematic two-fold variation over the year. Annual production was 75 g C/m2/year. Significant differences also were found between longitudes, and a slightly significant interaction occurred between season and longitude. Probable sources of the seasonal cycle include time variation of thermocline topography and variation of nutrient supply from local source areas such as the Costa Rica Dome, Gulf of Tehuantepec, Peru Current extension, and Equatorial Undercurrent domain.
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Communicated by G. L. Voss, Miami
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Owen, R.W., Zeitzschel, B. Phytoplankton production: seasonal change in the oceanic eastern tropical Pacific. Marine Biology 7, 32–36 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00346805
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00346805