Upper ocean ecosystem dynamics and iron cycling in a global three‐dimensional model

A global three‐dimensional marine ecosystem model with several key phytoplankton functional groups, multiple limiting nutrients, explicit iron cycling, and a mineral ballast/organic matter parameterization is run within a global ocean circulation model. The coupled biogeochemistry/ecosystem/circulation (BEC) model reproduces known basin‐scale patterns of primary and export production, biogenic silica production, calcification, chlorophyll, macronutrient and dissolved iron concentrations. The model captures observed high nitrate, low chlorophyll (HNLC) conditions in the Southern Ocean, subarctic and equatorial Pacific. Spatial distributions of nitrogen fixation are in general agreement with field data, with…

• NS
  National Science Foundation
• NC
  National Center for Atmospheric Research
• WH
  Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
• GS
  Goddard Space Flight Center