The Construction of the Pelagic Submodel

Abstract

In this chapter the construction of the pelagic submodel will be elucidated. All pelagic variables are subject to transport processes; either diffusive transport or siltlike transport. The transport processes not only occur within the system, but also across the system boundaries. This necessitates the definition of boundary conditions. The procedure of incorporating the effects of the boundary conditions into the model links the model system to the outside world, but also enables us to delimit our model system and have it behave as a self-contained unit. The biological variables belong to the following major groups:

• 1. The producers, represented by pelagic diatoms and flagellate phytoplankton;

• 2. The grazers, represented by the microzooplankton (20–200 μm) and the mesozooplankton (200–2000 μm);

• 3. The planktonic predators, represented by ctenophores;

• 4. The decomposers, represented by pelagic bacteria.