Parameterization of a size-structured biogeochemical model for the California Current Ecosystem

To understand and quantify plankton community dynamics in the ocean, high-resolution models are needed to capture the temporal and spatial variations of physical, biological and biogeochemical processes. However, ecosystem models often fail to agree with observations. This can be due to inadequacies in the data, and inadequacies in the model formulation and parameterization. We parameterized a 1-D size- structured ecosystem model (modified from NEMURO) using data from Lagrangian field measurements conducted during the Long Term Ecological Research -California Current Ecosystem (LTER-CCE) program. The CCE process studies were focused on quantifying the size-resolved planktonic growth, grazing, production and export rates when following a water parcel; these data provide strong constraints for the model we employed. Our preliminary results indicate that the model can accurately reproduce some of the important biological features and dynamics observed in the CCE, such as the Chl-a/C ratios, the size- fractioned growth and grazing rates, and the phytoplankton community structure.