RT Dissertation/Thesis
T1 Thin layers of phytoplankton in the Rías Baixas (NW off Iberia): occurrence, formation and relevance
T2 Capas finas de fitoplancto nas Rías Baixas (NO da Península Ibérica): presencia, mecanismos de formación e relevancia ecolóxica
A1 Broullon Mandado, Esperanza
K1 2510 Oceanografía
AB Due to the fertilization effect of the upwelling and the increase in primary production, the Rías Baixas sustain an intense shellfishing activity which, every year, faces the menace of harmful phytoplankton blooms. It is believed that the aggregation of phytoplankton in thin layers, where the biomass accumulates in a thickness less than 5 meters, might explain why traditional monitoring programs, with insufficient vertical resolution, are often unable to detect and predict toxic events. Preliminary studies indicate that the formation of these features is associated with  strictly physical or biological processes, or a combination of both. Despite their relevance, nowadays, the knowledge about thin layers in this region is limited to a couple of specific observations. In order to verify the following hypotheses: H1) Pseudo-nitzschia spp. and Dinophysis spp. frequently bloom in thin layers in the Rías Baixas, and H2) Physical processes related to shear and turbulence levels control the formation of thin layers of Pseudo-nitzschia spp., this project proposes a multidisciplinary approach which combines database analysis, field observations carried out during the REMEDIOS-TLP cruise (Jun-Jul 2018), and numerical modeling techniques. Specifically, the following objectives are proposed: O1) To describe the characteristics of thin layers of phytoplankton, with special interest in Pseudo-nitzschia spp., in the Rías Baixas and adjacent shelf, and O2) To investigate the mechanisms responsible for the initiation, maintenance and dissipation of thin layers of phytoplankton.
LK http://hdl.handle.net/11093/7204
UL http://hdl.handle.net/11093/7204
LA spa
NO Agencia Estatal de Investigación | Ref. CTM2016-75451-C2-1-R
DS Investigo
RD 15-sep-2024