Author(s)

M. Jin, J. Wang & P. McRoy

Abstract

A 3-D coupled physical-biological model and its application to the 1996 spring plankton bloom in Prince William Sound, Alaska M. linl, J. wang' & P. MCRO~' qnstitute of Marine Science, University of Alaska Fairbanks, USA '~nternational Arctic Research Center, Frontier Research System for Global Change, University of Alaska Fairbanks, USA Abstract A 3-D coupled biological-physical model of Prince William Sound was developed to simulate the spring plankton bloom of 1996. The physical model is based on a 3-D circulation model under forcing of monthly heat flux, freshwater discharge of a line source, daily wind, Alaska Coastal Current (ACC) inflow/outflow, and tide. The biological model consists of four compartments: nutrients, phytoplankton, zooplankton and detritus. A mixed layer model is introduced to calculate vertical mixing caused by wind stirring and surface cooling. The simulated spring phytoplankton bloom starting and ending time and its magnitude compared well with field observations at

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