THE ocean has considerable spatial and temporal heterogeneity in biomass and
productivity owing in part to the effects of ocean circulation and mixing1, 2. Water mass …

Shallow sea fronts, zones of transition between mixed and stratified waters, are generally
characterized by accumulation of biomass1, 2. Various mechanisms can be suggested for …

The shelf-break region of the Celtic Sea (north of the Bay of Biscay) is characterized by a
reduced sea-surface temperature (∼ 1° C) throughout the summer months1. The cool …

THE response of the deep ocean to long-period temperature variations at the ocean surface
is a crucial issue in understanding climate change1. There are, however, very few …

FLUCTUATIONS in temperature and rainfall are important to agriculture and human
populations1–6, and there is increasing interest in the possibility of forecasting future …

Until recently the deep sea was considered to be a particularly stable environment1, free
from seasonal variations. However, atmospheric storms may cause periodicity in deep …

Phytoplankton size structure is acknowledged as a fundamental property determining
energy flow through 'microbial'or 'herbivore'pathways. The balance between these two …

LIMITED understanding of the influence of the environment on the relation between
photosynthesis and light in the ocean impairs our capacity to estimate primary production …

In the oceans, heat, salt and nutrients are redistributed much more easily within water
masses of uniform density than across surfaces separating waters of different densities. But …

Satellite imagery and large-scale oceanic experiments have replaced traditional concepts of
broad sluggish currents moving throughout the ocean by the concept of a continuous …